White Heart Black Bones
by OpenDoorLeia
Summary: The final battle was lost. Man and beast were separated, just as the boy had always dreamed. But, at what cost? As the years went by, the world grew darker and darker. But her heart was still beating. Can the White Princess and the Puppet King save the world they helped create? I wish I could tell you, but the towers are rising. All I know is that the world still needs a hero.
1. I'm Alone

White Heart Black Bones

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**Disclaimer**: All characters and related trademark material belong to their rightful owners. The only thing I'm responsible for is writing up the story which came out of my cesspool-like mind. Pokemon (c) GameFreak, Nintendo, Junichi Masuda and whoever else.

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><p>.<p>

**PART ONE START**

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_I must be on top of the world right now…_

That's surely what it felt like as I gazed down at the earth from a pedestal on level with the clouds.

_It's so amazing,_ I thought, awestruck, looking down towards the vast expanse of land stretching out endlessly beneath. Thousands of feet below white capped mountains stretched up towards the sky, their peaks pointed towards me. Far beyond that the world sprawled out in large blocks of blue and green land. Raging waves turned in the ocean, leaves stirred softly in the quiet forests. I was astounded… even from this high up every detail, every motion seemed to be unbelievably vivid and defined. Tearing my eyes away for a brief moment, I looked forward to the gigantic platform I stood on. It was made of pale blocks of stone with dark ivy crawling through the cracks and nicks in the rock and flowers that hung over on the precipice, bobbing their heads in the wind.

_This is beautiful_, I thought feeling the wind blow by, playing with my hair through invisible fingers. Tears began to well up in my pale eyes as I was overcome by emotion. _It's so beautiful._

A sudden spray of blood shot into the air, staining the pale tile below in arcs of crimson. A horrible, crushing laugh boomed outward, echoing across the vast sky. The bodies of my team, my friends, my Pokémon were scattered about the platform, leaning against ruptured walls, bodies lying in crumpled heaps; all motionless shells of flesh. Each covered in horrible gashes and wounds; each one drenched in blood. My heart came to a stop.

That's right… my Pokémon died here at the top of the world. And I simply watched as it happened. I failed.

I turned slowly, across the tarnished stone to the source of the laughter. A dark figure of a man stood there, sneering at the tears in my eyes. His tea-green hair was slicked back, apart from a few stray pieces which stuck outward. A metal patch over his right eye gleamed malevolently red; I could see my own pained reflection in it. He threw his arms outward, parting the robe that he wore. "It's over!"

_No! It can't end here! _

The blocks of stone beneath my feet began to crumble, giving passage to the drop below. I looked down in shock, willing my body to move but it wouldn't respond. I tried to find something to run to; something to grab hold of; someone to help me. Then I saw his face.

His eyes were almost hidden under the brim of his black hat, but I still saw the sadness and regret emanating from those gray orbs. His jaw was set and his lips were pressed tightly together, as if he were in pain. I reached my hand out to him desperately, begging for help, begging for him to do something, anything!

He just stood there staring at me remorsefully as I tumbled over the edge.

I was falling, that much I could be sure of. I could see the ground speeding towards me, simply waiting for the moment of impact. It's surprising how something so beautiful like the earth could be the instrument of my death. That was the last thing I thought as I hit the ground and died.

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Chapter One

**I'm alone** (_… in the burning world_)

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The crash was almost deafening in my ears as I toppled out of the warm fabrics of N's bed and smashed my face onto the ground. For the moments following I just sat there crumpled uncomfortably half on and half off the bed. I struggled to pull myself out from the numbness of sleep which still clung to the edges of my mind. I had been dreaming again. Surprisingly the memory still remained crisp in my head; the details-still vivid; the sounds-still ringing through my ears. Even the falling sensation had not completely vanished. I had to give my arm a good pinch to pull back into a solid reality.

With the heaviest of sighs I hauled myself up on aching limbs, straining to keep my eyes open as I looked around the room-analyzing, trying to pick out a human figure (if there even was one around). The room was vacant. There was a faint happiness and relief to know that there were no witnesses to my embarrassing tumble. Although even if someone had been present during my little scene I knew who it would be, and they knew all about the nightmares.

I stood up not even bothering to toss the blankets back over the bed; it was usually a total mess anyway so I was indifferent. I took the briefest of moments to straighten up the dress I wore which had twisted around me in some odd way during sleep. I then dragged my weary self over to the far row of outward curving windows, stabbing my foot on a section of toy train track as I went.

The dream continued to play over and over in my mind like a broken record. For some reason I couldn't stop thinking about it. Since the dream was sticking to my memories like glue, horrible glue, I tried to analyze what I could remember, before those memories too disappeared into the thick of my subconscious. While I ran it through my head a couple times, I came to a realization that not much had changed from the previous nights where this nightmare had struck. Yes, I was under the plague of a recurring nightmare and until I found some way to get rid of it the terrors would just replay endlessly in my tormented mind. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't about to get over these night horrors any time soon. These wretched dreams had plagued me for the better portion of the month, and because of that my sleep patterns became distorted and mangled. I seemed to have dark circles under my eyes almost constantly. I looked almost zombified, but I was too depressed to care about my appearance.

I took a quick glance around the room to make double sure that it was empty. I didn't see anyone; my paranoia was just getting the better of me. Still, even after seeing it many times before, I was captured by this room's beauty.

The room was vast and circular; the floor made of coal-black tile; the walls white as cream. The bed I had stumbled out of was located in the dead center of the room. The covers lay strewn all over the circular bed, making it look like a huge mess. Rib like columns lined the walls supporting the ceiling and uniting in a circle right above the bed. My eye brows scrunched together when I turned my gaze from the beautiful design of the room to the piles of toys strewn everywhere, and when I say everywhere I'm not exaggerating…not even a bit. There were so many toys, shoved clumsily in boxes or lying lonely on the floor just waiting to be accidently stepped on; it was really ridiculous. Plastic robots, action figures; toy trains along with a track to go with them, a basket ball hoop and ball, even on the ceiling chimes with circling Pidove and planes hanging on wires under the gray, dominated the void-like ceiling. With all the toys thrown around everywhere you'd think the room belonged to a five year old, that is if you ignored the elegancy of the rest of the room.

I took a seat a few feet away from the row of windows. I didn't want to be too close to the edge because even with glass separating my body from the drop below, the height of the room was almost unfathomable. It almost made me feel like I was on top of the world, and I really hated it. Looking out the row of outward curving windows, I could see a large mountain range looming in the far distance. The ground below the tower was nearly barren and lifeless. But there were some forests patching the earth but from this far up they all looked like twigs and sprouts; even the hills and cliffs defining the landscape looked little more than anthills.

But I wasn't paying attention to any of that, I had seen it so many times before that it induced no feeling out of me. This time over the horizon, I could see huge plumes of black smoke bellowing out over the sky just below the crest of mountains. Something was burning out there and to me that meant something was dying. I felt bitter as I watched the smoke drift out over the sky. My heart ached with a dull sadness. It hurt because I knew whatever was being burnt to ash in those flames below was because of me.

I may have been sitting there for hours or maybe simple minutes, but the sound of a door opening from the back of the room caught my attention. But I didn't turn to look at who had entered. I already had a good idea who the visitor was. A moment of silence followed before the sound of approaching footsteps drew near. Still I did not turn around. I saw him take a seat beside me out of the corner of my eye. He kept out bodies apart. Neither one of us spoke which invited another wave of silence to settle over the room. The only sound audible was my steady breathing; his body didn't seem to make so much as a muffle. I didn't have the heart to start up a conversation with him, and at the same time I was put as ease by his presence. It was a horrible ambivalence.

"The smoke looks nice against the sun set," N said softly, giving me a jolt of surprise. Even though I knew he was bound to say something sooner or later, the broken silence startled me. Taking a look through the window to the dead world beyond I saw the dark plumes of smoke framed against a fire-like sky. It did look beautiful… in a horrid sort of way. There was something that had to perish to produce the smoke that tainted the sky; that's what made it so bitter-sweet.

I gave a vague grunt in agreement.

"Dinner will be ready soon," he said, not taking his eyes off the distant sky. I turned my head a fraction to get a better look at his face and what expression he may have worn there. His eyes were almost obscured by the bill of his black hat and those wispy green bangs falling over his forehead, I still managed to pick out his stormy-gray eyes. His emotions, whatever he was feeling, were shut under some invisible wall. N was, as usual, unreadable.

"I'm not hungry," My voice was so quiet and hoarse that I hoped my words were intelligible.

He delayed his response as if waiting for me to continue, "You haven't been eating much lately, Touko." I almost flinched when he said my name, just the way he said it made it feel like someone took a stab at my heart. Again he was right. I was too depressed to eat. Being locked in his room for days upon endless days, and the horrible nightmares that crept into my head at night added a whole new layer to the malaise I was feeling. I no longer had the desire to eat.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, turning to look directly into my eyes. I pushed him back with a wall of emptiness, an unresponsive gesture.

I wanted to shake my head, because I wasn't going to lie to him, but I couldn't move. N knew very well that I wasn't alright. I'm sure he had his suspicions about my nightmares without my having told him prior. I know he heard my cries at night and seen the tears streaming down my face while I slept, but he never brought it up. It made me wonder if perhaps he was waiting for me to do it. But I wasn't going to do that. I didn't want to tell him anything…

"I'll do anything I can for you Touko." The sincerity in his voice made my heart ache and I couldn't suppress a flinch. I expected him to continue, to say something more, but right then he got up and left the room. I stood there for a moment after hearing the door close, and continued to sit by the windows until the moon rose and sky turned black. The smoke had become obscured by the dark night but the fires that burned in the world below were illuminated anew. N did not return.

With drooping eyes and a heavy heart, I got up from the windows and dragged myself back to bed. I collapsed on the covers in a heap, burying deep into the elegant and colourful fabrics of N's round bed. I had the crazy notion that if I dug down deep enough beneath the sheets then I would never wake up again. N returned before I could knock myself into slumber. But I was hoping that he wouldn't, because sometimes he doesn't, but luck didn't seem to be on my side. Instead I tried to feign slumber. Whether he bought it or not I'll never know.

He seemed to ignore me as he pulled back the covers and crawled beneath the sheets. Well, of course, where else was I supposed to sleep? N only has one bed in his room so we sleep together. Neither of us were bothered by it so we figured it best to leave things as they were. I liked it better that way. The feeling of having another life right beside me as I slept alleviated the sadness that encompassed me so heavily. Without N there I probably would have been devoured by emptiness long ago. It was only a short while later that I really did pass out and fell into another sleep, right where the nightmares were waiting.

**XXX**

I was on top of the world, hoisted up on the white-stoned platform which had already become drenched in blood. My heart jumped to my throat. Across the pedestal a man with wispy green hair, slicked back to his skull, laughed at me. My own shocked expression was reflected in the metal patch over his eye.

"Ghetsis," I seethed angrily. I reached for my belt to draw out a Pokémon but my hand grabbed nothingness where I knew my Pokéballs were supposed to be. Again Ghetsis laughed. Beneath the clouds the winds raged in the forests thousands of feet down, tearing loose the fragile leaves and ripping them apart. In the ocean furious waves crashed against the mountains below, grabbing at the peaks, smashing the rocks like brittle bones. The world was crumbling.

"Where are my Pokémon?" I demanded, startled at their absence.

"Foolish girl, they're already dead," he mused spreading his arms out at length. In a flash the bodies of my team appeared over the platform, lifeless and still, torn with deep gashes and lacerations. My heart nearly stopped. My team… My Pokémon… they were all dead. I wanted to run to them; I wanted to help them; I wanted to do something-anything! But a crushing hand of sadness that broke my very bones left me immobile.

Ghetsis laughed again as a large, three headed dragon arose behind him. "You've lost, little girl,"

The maw of the beast began to shine brightly and I knew an attack was coming. I tried to speak, to choke out an attack or to call out a name. But nothing followed, nothing came. The last thing I saw before Ghetsis' dragon attacked was N's distant face staring at me solemnly from the end of the world. The crash came and I died.

I could hear screaming bounding off the walls. It took me only a moment to realize that the source of the insane wailing was me. A pair of arms grabbed hold of my body and I lashed out in shock. I was unable to tell if the touch was a dream or reality.

"Touko!" I heard someone shout and I realized a little too late that it was N who had called my name. I froze, letting him pull me into his arms away from the frigid despair of my dreams. I trembled in fear as he soothed me; the streaks of blood were still vivid in my mind as if even now they were coating the dim walls of N's room. But as he continually stroked my back, soothing me down; the blood faded; the laughter died and I broke down in tears. In response N pulled me close to his body setting up a refuge for my frailty. Shuttering sobs broke from of my lips and tears rolled down my pale cheeks.

The memories of the nightmare had branded themselves inside of my head. No matter how hard I closed my eyes or how much I told myself that it was only a dream, the day I lost to Ghetsis continued to play endlessly in my head. That man's horrible laughter was my lullaby into another numb sleep.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

Hello everyone, nice to see you have arrived. I hope you enjoy the first installment of this Pokemon fiction of mine, and if you have, please be courteous and offer some feedback. Because if you don't point out my huge, gaping flaws, how will I ever hope to improve? Thanks, very much.


	2. Consume the Illusion

When I awoke the next morning N was gone. That put a damper on the brand new morning, but I was already used to it by now. I had grown accustomed to falling asleep in his arms only to wake up all alone the next morning. That's to be expected I guess, right? N is the king of Team Plasma; he has his duties to attend to. But whatever those may be I haven't a clue, since I never leave his room (apart from meal time, that is) everything that goes on outside the walls of N's room is shrouded in mystery. All I can ever see is the dark smoke over the horizon and everything else is left to guesswork.

I didn't have the heart to stumble out of bed so I just lay there like a lump, staring at the ceiling as if in a trance. The curving pillars of the room, the bones that supported the structure, crawled up the walls, onto the ceiling and united in a circle right above N's bed. There was some sort of ancient carving inside of this little circle; it seemed to tell a story no longer spoken by word. I lifted up my hand, tracing the lines of the carving above with my finger. Two figures stood below the sky, reaching out their hands to embrace arcs of black and white light. Towering above them, in this ancient illustration, was a massive Pokémon, some sort of great deity.

"What was it…?" I mumbled to myself, hidden thoughts within my head suddenly broke from my lips. I wracked my brain, trying to figure out the carving and whatever story it was telling. I started to wonder about the origins of Team Plasma's castle. How long has this structure been around and who on earth created it?

I flipped over onto my stomach, entangling myself further in the blankets of N's bed. I started to debate whether or not I should actually get up this morning. Though I'm not proud to say it, there were some days where I would throw a pillow over my head and submerge myself under the sheets, hibernating all day long. I know that's no way to be, but can you really blame me? I was locked in N's room all the time, overcome with choking depression, forsaken by the world. If those aren't good reasons to isolate yourself then I don't know what is. Because of my routine I would have thought that I'd put on a couple pounds, the opposite actually happened. That's because I never eat, well almost never. I don't have the desire to eat food anymore. If anything it's just something to do to occupy time. So I'd actually become skinnier, not emaciated by any means, but my rib cage was sticking out.

I debated for a while with myself before finally deciding to roll, very ungracefully, out of N's bed. The blood surged to my head when I stumbled up on my feet; the room started to go dim. Head rush. I gripped the sides of my skull until it subsided and then turned to the mirror at the side of the room.

I looked rough, but no one really looks beautiful first thing in the morning. I knew I'd look worlds different when Anthea and Concordia got their hands on me. Since N is usually off somewhere, being a king, Anthea and Concordia are my caretakers. They're nice to me; don't get me wrong; I really enjoy their company. But for some reason they really love to dress me up in some of the most extravagant, over-the-top outfits that have ever been witnessed by human-

There was a sudden movement to my left, and I jumped in surprise. It was so quick, so small that I immediately doubted that I really saw it. It's just my paranoia again… I stare, with serious vigor, to where I could have sworn I saw something moving under the sheets of N's bed. Nothing moves; everything is still, and I swear I've gone insane.

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Chapter Two

**Consume the illusion** (… _and_ _get ready to dance_)

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With no movement following the one I could have sworn I'd seen, I gave up and trudged over to the mirror where a small counter lay. I flopped down, picked up a brush, and made an attempt to smooth out the huge mass of hair on my head. I kept my gaze locked onto the sullen looking girl who stared straight at me through that glass. I hated her and I hated that stupid distraught look she always wore. Why did I still look this way? Even though I was sure my spirits had lifted from last night, my expression still reflected absolute sadness. I tried not to linger on those thoughts.

After my naturally wavy hair was as smooth as I could make it with a quick comb through, I made to get up and head over to the windows to stare blankly at the world. But right as I put down the brush I saw it again in the mirror; something was moving under N's bed! I was sure I'd seen it! I clambered up with the speed of a race horse, knocking my chair over with a loud clatter. I reached the bed where the lump was still moving. I was overjoyed that I hadn't gone insane, and that there really _was_ something beneath the sheets. I wondered if N was still hiding there, but I quickly pushed that thought away, realizing how ridiculous it sounded. N had left very early in the morning and whatever was quivering beneath the bed sheets was much smaller than a person.

I contemplated on what the creature could be, chewing feverously on my lip as I thought. I was too weary to tear the sheets off just yet because all sorts of outlandish possibilities kept flooding into my mind. A whale-shark? Some ancient ghost inhabiting the castle? A super-natural tunnel leading to a world of never ending falling? Ghetsis? I hit myself on the forehead; I really was going crazy inside this room. Finally, after swallowing what fears I had, I took firm hold of the bed sheets and tore them away.

A small black dog-like Pokémon was huddled into a ball underneath the covers. It had a red-tipped wisp of fur on its head, which kind of looked like the end of a paintbrush. It was a Zorua.

It looked up, and by the harsh glare it was giving me I could tell it was peeved at being woken up. I stared at it still as a statue trying to feign innocence. I didn't work. With the blankets still in my hands I looked incredibly guilty. It gave a small, annoyed yip before taking a dive straight into a bundle of purple blankets.

"…Sorry…!" I whispered, throwing the sheets back over the bed. Walking away I started to wonder how that thing ended up getting inside N's room. Was there some sort of way out apart from the front door? Maybe a secret passage or some ventilation shaft I could crawl through? The question endlessly demanded my attention as I began to pace the room, poking my foot on one of N's toys. After giving much thought to the possibility of escape, I decided to let the idea drop. I knew that I wouldn't be able to find out anything by simply pacing the room like a robot. And I certainly wasn't going to head back to N's bed to dig up that Zorua again, asking it how it had got in. It was angry enough at me last time I disturbed its sleep. Something told me that it would do more than just bark at me if I pestered it again.

Sighing in defeat I stalked over to the far row of windows, nearly tripping over one of N's toy boxes on the way.

The windows had a sort of outward curve to them just like the walls. Just sitting inside of N's room is kind of like being in a gigantic sphere. The design perplexed me so. After taking my seat, with my legs folded, I stared at the brightening landscape beyond. A pale white sun rose over a row of mountains in the distance. Dark clouds of smoke drifted out on the wind from where the fires burned last night. It was definitely early morning, but I'm not good on telling time by the sun's position, I was unsure. So I sat awaiting either Anthea and Concordia, or perhaps N to return – depending on what he has to do this morning. I decided that when he returned I would ask him about that Zorua.

I waited for what seemed like quite a while, and the sun had definitely gotten higher. Eventually the door opened. I didn't react to it at first because the depression that lingered inside my body left me unresponsive and a bit slow-witted. But when I did turn around to meet the visitor I saw that it was N who had come back. His expression was definitely hard to read, per usual, but there was an intense seriousness in his gaze.

_Is something wrong? Did something happen? _I thought in a vague sense of worry.

My suspicions were thrown to the wind as he broke his serious stare with a huge ear-to-ear smile.

"You're awake?" he asked.

I waited for some witty remark to follow but it never came. He just stood there staring at me. He's a bit of a weirdo sometimes but I guess that's beside the point. I clambered up and sped towards him, dodging all the clutter at my feet on the way.

"You have to see this!" I bleated taking hold of his arm and urging him toward the bed. "Look. Look. Look!" I couldn't spot the Zorua at first glance so I figured it was still sleeping under the covers somewhere. I dove into the blankets digging through them in search of that elusive little dog. Little did I know at the time but that Zorua had already left the concealment of the bed sheets and was standing behind me, right beside N.

I continued to tear through the sheets like a mad man, not really caring how much of a mess I made. N's bed was usually unruly anyway. N spotted the Pokémon standing beside him and kneeled down to pet it, smiling the entire time, completely ignoring the spectacle I was making. He'd been oblivious to it! That Zorua, on the other hand seemed to relish in the foolish attempt I was making trying to find it. Only when it gave a snide barking, that actually sounded like a laugh, did I realize where it was.

I pulled my head out of the bed sheets and whipped around. "Youuu!" I shrieked, pointing at it with an accusing finger.

N smiled at me, "You've met Laika, then?"

My finger dropped, "It's a girl?"

He nodded at me while still stroking the Zorua's back.

"How did it get in here? I'm sure it wasn't here a few days ago…" I stopped myself as a thought came up from the depths of my memory. I remembered someone telling me that Zorua is a Pokémon of illusion. I wondered if it was possible that Laika had been secretly residing in this room under my nose the entire time.

"She gets in through the dog door over there," N told me, making a small gesture towards the oaken front door. "I make it so that she can come and go whenever she pleases."

I stared stupidly at the dog door for a minute, wondering if I could squeeze through it somehow. Even though I had a very small figure, I knew there was no way I was getting through that dog door. Judging by its size I doubt that my head would be able to get through. _Looks like that chance for escape is out, _I huffed subconsciously.

I turned back to N who was smiling contently as he scratched Laika behind her ears. N emanates an infectious atmosphere whenever he's with a Pokémon. Just looking at his joyous expression even had me smiling.

"I hope you can be friends with her," he said finally standing up. Laika looked up disappointedly, upset that her ear massage had ended. "Breakfast is ready. I've come to get you."

I didn't really notice how hungry I was until he made that comment. I hadn't eaten in a fair amount of time and the thought of food made my mouth water, and the aching in my stomach grow. I obliged. And without having Anthea and Concordia appear to clothe me into some extravagant outfit, I followed N to the dining room. The dining hall wasn't very far away from N's room. It was just out the door, down the hall and around the corner quite literally. Fitting with the rest of the castle, it was an extremely grandiose room, much longer than it was wide. An equally long table dominated the room. The wallpaper was a slate-like gray. Columns, just like the ones in N's room, lined the walls like ribs joining together on the ceiling where a light hung down.

The food had already been placed on the table before N and I arrived, so we were ready to eat. I headed straight to my end of the table and took a seat. N went over to his side opposite, grabbed his chair and dragged it back over to where I was sitting. It didn't take us long to establish that if he sat on one end of the table and I sat on the other, we would have to scream to each other if we would ever hope to have a conversation. So he always brought his seat over to mine and sat beside me on the adjacent side. Once we were seated and established, N started to offer me certain dishes of food. Well, he knew I didn't eat very much, so he tried to coax me to eat as best he could.

"Try the ham and eggs!" "Touko, try some of this garlic bread." "Hey. Touko, try this sausage that looks like an octopus!"

The food provided for us was so incredibly rich. All of it looked like it was made right from scratch. And when I say that, I mean it was all grown and harvested in the castle too. I knew there must be a green house around here some place…

After I had eaten a decent amount, more than what I would usually eat, I noticed that N had become silent. He was looking down steadily, slowly twiddling his thumbs. I could tell by his body language that he wanted to tell me something and whatever it was… it was important. I stared at him for a minute with cheeks full of chewed food as I waited for him to begin.

"Touko…" Even the tone of his voice was unreadable. I couldn't draw any sort of inkling to what he was about to say. "There's going to be a dance at the end of the week. It will be to commemorate Ghetsis's success. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me…"

He spoke so quickly, as usual, that I almost didn't catch everything he said. But once he was finished talking I took my chance to swallow my food and simply stare at him.

"A dance?"

"Yes, but it will be a formal one…"

"I can go?" I asked him in bewilderment. "I thought I was supposed to be a prisoner in this place! I mean…" I paused for a moment, letting the news sink in.

"Ghetsis agreed to let you come. But you'll be heavily guarded and watched at all times…" he said, staring towards but not directly at me.

I knew there'd be a catch. Even if I got to leave N's room and attend the dance, there would be no chance for escape if I was constantly being watched by Plasma guards.

"You don't have to go if you don't want too," he said at length.

I turned to look down at my empty plate, analyzing the food smears and crumbs while I thought it over. I couldn't look N in the eye while I mulled it over. Even if I was to be guarded and watched the opportunity for escape could still present itself before me, and I would be a fool not to take it. This was a chance that I couldn't risk passing up.

However, before I could give an answer, N suddenly stood up. He matched my curious gaze with a smile. "You can think it over. You don't have to give me an answer right away. The dance is at the end of the week."

And with that, he left before I even had a chance to speak...

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><p><strong>Author Note: <strong>

Ah. How I will never know the joys of eating a sausage octopus (tears).

And I hope you guys LIKE ZORUAS! Also, just in case you are wondering, Laika is named after the very first dog (and animal for that matter) to be sent into outer space! Let's take a moment to remember all the Russian space dogs who died for the sake of human curiosity; who paved the way for future space travel. (manly tears). Also. Laika means 'barker' in Russian. Fun facts are... AWESOME!


	3. Chaotic Waltz

I decided to attend the dance N had told me about. It was a good opportunity for escape that I knew I couldn't pass up. That and it would be great to get out of N's room for a change. I could swear that I was going insane inside of this room. As to how I was planning to escape… well I didn't know that yet. N hadn't given me very many details about the dance, other than the fact that it was to commemorate Ghetsis's success and my failure. So my escape plan was going to have to be made on the spot, once I entered the dance hall and assessed the situation. I hoped that fate would smile upon me and I'd be able to find some instance to escape. I'm not an avid believer in karma or anything like that, but I figured it was about time something positive happened in my life. I had already suffered enough from my past failures. The sun really needed to start shining over me.

I didn't see very much of N in the days leading up to the dance. In fact, I saw neither hide nor hair of him for days on end. Some nights he wouldn't even return to his bed, and it left me wondering where he could be. N usually made it a point to come and see me at least once a day, even if I was an unresponsive zombie having him around was just nice. I tried asking Anthea and Concordia about it but they would only say, "Our lord N is very busy…" and not even bother to elaborate. N's absence left me more and more depressed as the days rolled by. The only company I had in the long days leading up to the dance was Laika the Zorua, and she didn't like me very much.

She would usually loiter around on N's bed stealing my lounging area and sleep away. She has assumed my role! Apart from being depressed that is. I didn't feel like fighting with the little Pokémon about who's sleeping area she stole, so I let her do whatever she pleased. It was one day, the day right before the dance that we reached a compromise. Laika was resting on N's bed curled into a ball as usual, and I simply approached and climbed into the bed beside her. She didn't bark at me or try to bite me. She just let me sit there as we lay on the resplendent sheets of N's bed, staring at the ceiling absently. I believe we had a breakthrough that day.

It was when we were lying on N's bed that I asked, "Laika? You're an illusion Pokémon yes?"

She just stared at me through half-closed eyes. She probably knew what I was hinting at.

"Does that mean you can change into any Pokémon? _ANY_ Pokémon?" I pressed.

She nodded and sighed in exasperation.

"Can you change into something for me?" I asked excitedly as I stared at her with hope-filled eyes. Laika shook her head and turned away in refusal.

"Whaat? Why not…?" I asked, a wave of disappointment coming over me. Laika just ignored me, and I stared angrily at the back of her head her from behind the huge pillow I sat on. I was upset that she wouldn't show me her ability… I was just curious.

N arrived shortly after, picking up on the hostile tension in the room the second he set foot inside.

"What's going on…?" he asked approaching the bed.

"She won't show me her ability…" I grumbled, clenching the same pillow even tighter to my chest.

N stared at me blankly for a minute before turning to Laika. But not before I thought I saw him flash a quick, almost amused smile.

"That's not nice Laika…" N said to his Pokémon, "can you please change into something for me?"

Laika agreed almost instantly with a quick bark, wagging her tail joyously. "What do you want her to change into?" N asked, smiling again.

I stared at him, numb with shock. I didn't actually think that he'd persuade Laika to morph for me, and it caught me off guard.

"U-uhh… how about a Wailord!" I blurted, shouting the first thing that came to mind, and throwing my arms out wide.

Laika gave an annoyed bark. "Think smaller" N translated.

"Uuhm," I put my finger to my lips in contemplation, my cheeks flushed.

"…A…a Tepig…?" I mumbled.

N looked at Laika with an expectant smile and she in turn, with a small puff of black smoke, morphed into a Tepig.

I stared at her: dumbstruck. She oinked at me, gloating in my shocked silence, and wagging her now spring-like tail.

"Ta-da! Pretty amazing, huh?" N said, seeming to love my shocked face as much as Laika did. My mouth slowly closed and I picked Laika up in my arms and stared directly at her with serious vigor. The illusion she had crafted was impeccable. Everything down to the smallest detail resembled a Tepig, and that just tore at my heart strings. N noticed the tears in my eyes and came to my side instantly.

"Touko… why are you crying…?" As if he didn't know…

.

.

Chapter Three

**Chaotic Waltz** (…_drink away your dark dreams_)

.

The night of the dance had come quickly. I hadn't seen N all day, but I was sure that he'd meet me in the dance hall later on in the night. He did invite me to come with him. I had no doubts that I'd see him there. Anthea and Concordia were in charge of my wardrobe for the dance and I expected them to dress me up in the most over the top outfit witnessed by human eyes. My mind went wild with all the outlandish possibilities. I envisioned a dress poofing out like a parachute covered in pink and blue ribbons; I imagined them crafting my hair in to a pretzel like design which stood erect like a tower. Thinking back on what they'd clothed me in before it didn't seem too farfetched.

The reality, however, was actually very tame. They gave me a simple strapless black dress with a large white stripe running vertically down the centre. It held tight to my slender figure until it reached my hips where it then fluttered out slightly ending right at my knees. They wrapped a gray sash tightly around my waist, which didn't seem to have any other purpose than to squeeze my innards together. Thankfully, my hair was just as simple as my attire. It was put down, apart from some pieces that they tied up in the back of my head, so they wouldn't obscure my face. A gray rose was placed on either side of my head, held there by a clip. I stole a quick feel to the flower and felt the soft, buttery petals. They were real. They weren't made of plastic or some sort of fabric. This gray rose was authentic. I wondered if the colour of this flower artificially generated; I couldn't remember ever seeing a gray rose before. They didn't do much in the ways of make-up which sat well with me because I hated the stuff and hardly needed it anyway.

We departed shortly after preparations were finished. Anthea and Concordia lead me down the castles grand hallways, and off to the fancy ball that awaited. The moon was already high in the night sky reflected through the dark framed windows. It casted deep shadows against the floor as we walked, extending our shadows and making us look like demons.

I was pretty nervous, I won't lie. I wasn't a horrible dancer, but there were going to be so many people around. And there was always the thought of running into Ghetsis during this ceremony, and that's what I feared above everything else. I had to strike up a conversation between my guards as we walked; the silence was too unnerving.

"Are you two going to be guarding me during this dance?" I asked them.

Anthea nodded, "We will be your escorts."

I couldn't help but feel a bit relieved after that. If Anthea and Concordia were all I had to worry about in ways of security than I'd be laughing. Only when we reached the dance hall did I realize that the ballroom was loaded with Plasma Soldiers. They lined the walls, stood at the door ways, watched from the balconies; they were everywhere! Sure, Anthea and Concordia would be guarding me directly, but the security for the rest of the ball was so tight I figured tossing myself back into N's room and throwing away the key would be a better alternative.

I clenched my fists knowing that I couldn't give up that easily. Something unforeseen still might happen… right?

We were greeted at the door by the same Plasma guards that lined the walls like fence posts. They checked us over quickly, eyes analyzing under the deep black visors they wore over their faces. These guards were worlds different than the ones I used to take down by the thousands back before Ghetsis took over Unova. Their robust build and solemn composure filled me with utter fear whenever I lay eyes on them. These were Ghetsis's soldiers and I knew they would not be trifled with. They would sooner kill me than watch my successful escape. It unnerved me. I knew I would have to deal with them somehow, but without having any Pokémon of my own I didn't know how that was possible.

They passed us through the main doors and we entered the dance hall. And it was huge. Its ceiling stretched above so wide and vast that it almost felt like I was looking at the sky. The room glowed in golden colour, mostly because of the light wood floors and immense glass chandelier hanging overhead. It gave off a heavenly warmth that settled my heart just a little bit – I was pretty nervous. The guests already dominated the room, congregating in crowds and talking among small groups. There were people literally everywhere, and I shrunk back a bit. I wasn't used to being around this many people. Their presence and the noise of so many bodies frightened me. As we walked in I noticed that every woman in the room was dressed in only white, while on the other hand all the men were dressed in nothing but black. I seemed to be the only person exempt from that rule with my dress of black, white and gray.

Anthea and Concordia lead me to one of the many large tables hugging the walls of the room, while the rest of the people paid us no mind and continued on either dancing or talking. I looked at the table behind me and saw that it was covered in rich, colourful food. The sight of it was just breath taking. I could only imagine the effort that was put into making every dish. I could even taste the effort put into the food's creation as I snacked on a few cheese balls. Once I tried one I couldn't stop myself, and I was soon shoveling them down.

Anthea and Concordia just stood beside me like statues while I sampled the delights. I could hear an orchestra providing the music for this ball off somewhere in the distance. But from where I was standing they seemed to be obscured by the crowd. The song suddenly shifted into a soaring waltz with an easy to dance to melody. I saw some couples grab each other and head to the dance floor, slowly swaying with the music as they went. I watched them with cheeks puffed full of cheese ball, feeling a bit jealous. They were just here to have fun… while I… I'm a prisoner in these walls… None of them would be dancing away to this chaotic waltz if I had won the battle against Ghetsis that day.

_Because I'm imperfect they can have this dance_, I thought bitterly.

I noticed Anthea and Concordia bowing while they stood beside me. I realized quickly that meant that either Ghetsis or N was standing behind me. And I just prayed for the latter.

"May I have this dance… Touko?"

I turned around with piles of cheese ball still stuffed in my face to find N standing there offering his hand to me. I swallowed hard and stared at him impishly. He looked amazing. He was dressed in a black suit with a white under shirt. A gray rose rested on his lapel. His hair, usually tied back, was put down letting it flow around him like a mane of fur. He also seemed to be exempt from the weird colour-code dress rule.

The enchanting mood was broken when he pointed to the corner of his mouth. "Food smudge!" he blurted.

I realized, not as quickly as I would have liked, that he was referring to the remnants of cheese ball still sticking to the corners of my mouth. I cheeks were ablaze with colour as I quickly rubbed my mouth with the back of my hand. "Let's dance…" I grumbled, embarrassed.

He smiled took my hand and headed out to the dance floor. Upon reaching the dead centre of the room, he grabbed my right hand in his and wrapped the other around my waist. I responded by resting my one free hand on his shoulder. And together we swayed to the music. I won't lie… it felt very stiff and awkward at first, and since he was so tall it was kind of hard to dance with him. But I had really missed N in his absence. And feeling his body right beside mine drove out the sadness and fear as it always had. I moved in closer and he responded in turn, not breaking the gaze we shared. We didn't need to communicate through words; in this moment our eyes were enough.

"I missed you…" I said to him in a dance that, until this moment, had remained silent.

"I missed you too," he responded quickly. My heart ached at the sincerity in his words. But after our words had been spoken and faded into the music… I didn't know what else to say. We simply let the music carry us as we glided around the room; our bodies moving together in sync with the soaring orchestra. We moved together like the push and pull of the ocean's waves, like a flurry of autumn leaves rushing upward by the wind's breath. We dominated the dance floor. Thousands of eyes watched us. I could see looks of awe and envy scattered around the void of bodies. I myself felt as though I had been pulled into another world. It was ethereal.

It almost broke my heart when the music abruptly came to an end in a crisp staccato; N and I stopped with it. The crowd around us erupted in a roar of applause. N broke our gaze and addressed them all with a kingly wave, which was little more than just raising his hand in the air. I just stood beside him and watched them all applaud, since I wasn't sure if I should address this cheering audience as well. N turned back to me when the cheers had faded back down.

"Thank you for the dance, Touko," he flashed me an honest smile before turning on his heel and walking straight into the crowd around us. Once I realized he was leaving I tried to make a move to stop him, but a certain gaze that caught my eye froze me into place like a poison. Ghetsis was looking down at me from a raised platform at the far end of the room. He sat on a massive throne on top of thick black pillows. The rest of the Seven Sages surrounded him on all sides, his throne however seemed to be most prominent. He was clothed in a prestigious robe which radiated his high position of power and importance. Golden rings hugged his knuckles as he clenched the arms of the throne.

I couldn't move. My throat was sealed under his heavy gaze. Though he did no more than stare me down, Ghetsis's eyes were paralyzing and freezing me into place. Flashbacks of my failure came rushing back. The blood; the cries of my defeated Pokémon; his wild laughter and N's steady gaze as he watched it all transpire.

A gentle hand being placed on my bare shoulder snapped me out of my paralysis. I spun around to see Concordia standing there, ready to escort me back to my table. I cast one look back to where N had once been, but it was in vain. He had disappeared in the ocean of bodies around us all.

_Why does he always have to disappear like this_? I thought in sadness, _couldn't he have stayed around just a bit longer_?

I gave in and let Concordia lead me back to my table where Anthea was waiting. Anthea had brought over a small chair for me to rest in, and I thanked her with a faint smile. I flopped down and turned around to see the tray of cheese balls, which I had eaten most of prior, had now been refilled.

_Great, _I thought_, now I have to eat all these too_.

* * *

><p>"Drink, Madame?" A waiter, out of the blue offered me a small drink resting on a silver platter. I didn't remember asking for one but I hardly cared at that point; it meant a free drink for me either way.<p>

"Sure," I grumbled snatching it off the platter. I was a bit peeved at N for having left me here by my lonesome. And I decided to take out all my frustrations through consuming all the food and drink this place had to offer; it was a self destructive road. I took the drink and quite frankly gulped it down, which I immediately regretted. Whatever this drink was it was clearly alcoholic, and I was soon sputtering and coughing after downing nearly all of it in one gulp. Anthea grabbed my shoulders lightly and asked if I was okay, and after a violent coughing fit I was.

I held the drink out and examined it closely. It was clear, with a bit of an amber colour to it. I could tell by the small bubbles, and the burning in my throat, that it was carbonated. But the warm tingling that soon arose in my gut prompted me to finish the glass off, but at a much slower pace. It tasted kind of like a cider; it was sweet, but also had a horrible bitter aftertaste. Once I had finished it off I called another waiter over and asked for a second glass. I had found something else besides N's embrace to drive away the dark dreams.

I turned to Anthea when I was half way through the second glass and asked her if I could go get some fresh air. I felt incredibly stifled for some reason, maybe it was the sea of bodies, or the alcohol creeping into my system; either way I needed to get outside. I was happy when she nodded and led me over to one of the many grand windows lining the far wall of the room. Each window stretched so high above our heads that it almost reached the ceiling. A small black-framed door, also made of glass, sat right at the bottom leading out to a high balcony far above the earth below. As expected the balcony was covered in Plasma guards. I gave them the faintest of glares as I stood by the window-like door, but they were unmoving, statuesque creatures. Even if no limb would stir I knew they were watching me. I could feel their eyes boring into my skin accompanied by the frigid wind that howled past.

The moon was bright out tonight; in fact it was the only light present in the sky. The stars, for whatever reason, were snuffed out by the darkness above. It made me sad.

"Anthea…?" I called her name but I heard no answer. I turned around in confusion to see that she wasn't with me; she was inside the ballroom somewhere, though I could not see her through the window. I suppose she thought the guards would be enough to sustain me on the off chance I tried something wild. Honestly, I didn't have it in me to try to escape tonight. The piercing look Ghetsis had given me brought back a rush of raw emotion I had felt during my loss to him. The old wounds had simply been reopened and my spirit had been crushed anew. I was just a girl who let the world fall… how could I ever hope to escape this place? I took another gulp of my drink as an icy wind blew by… man it was cold…

After my drink was long gone, and the wind had all but frozen my naked arms, N returned. My response to his arrival was delayed. I had fallen into a trance-like state with the moon, and when the door had opened I just assumed that Anthea had come back to collect me. I glanced back to see N standing there, almost right behind me, since I was still so close to the door. I had hardly even stepped out onto the balcony. He raised his hand dismissively and I only realized he wasn't addressing me when the Plasma guards patrolling the area took off and headed inside.

He strode out into the cold night like some sort of ghost. His movements were so soft, and the moonlight defined him so sharply that he looked almost like a monster. I don't know what I was thinking, maybe the alcohol was starting to get to me. He placed his hand on my shoulder and asked, "Aren't you cold?"

I shrugged unresponsively.

"Let's go sit by the railing together," he offered; making to lead me over to the edge but I dug in my heels and refused to budge. He regarded me quizzically, "Is something wrong?"

I sort of pouted, "I don't like… the heights…"

N stared at me with the blankest expression in the world.

I side glanced him; he really was making such a dumb face "Did you really forget about the scene I made when you tried to take me on the Ferris wheel?" It seemed like ages ago now…

N burst out laughing which sent me flying out of my skin, "That's right! I'm sorry Touko, I'd forgotten about your fear of heights." He led me over to one of the small tables set against the castles outer wall. I sat down and he took a seat right across from me.

"Is this better for you? We're still pretty high up," N looked at me wearily.

I shrugged, "Well as long as you don't constantly remind me of how high we are." I gave a small smile, "It's okay if I'm…" I sniffled, "you know, looking out at something vast… like when I'm looking out of a window or something…"

He grinned, "But when you're looking directly down to an unfathomable height?"

I glared at him, "Don't bring it up I said!"

He raised his hands apologetically, but by the childish grin he was still wearing I could tell he liked messing with me. I turned back out to the view and sighed.

After a lengthy silence N spoke again, "Are you okay Touko?" I looked back towards him, not turning my head.

He was looking at me with concern. "You look a bit sad…"

I was hoping he wouldn't ask that. Sure, I usually looked like a living corpse, but N never brought it up. On the rare occasions where he would ask these questions, I would always dance around the answer; I'd tell him I was just feeling sick or had a headache. I never went out and told him the truth. You know, that nightmares were haunting my waking hours and that I lived in an endless torpor. I figured he knew on a subconscious level even if he never talked to me about it.

But on this night when the moon was full and the alcohol had a choke hold on my feelings, I mumbled out, "…I miss my Pokémon…"

The look he wore once I said that was nearly heartbreaking. I tried to ignore it but his eyes were so sad, so intense that I had to slam my head on the table to try to break the gaze.

"They aren't dead…"

I looked up in shock. N was staring directly at me. His face now composed; his emotions now locked up behind an unreadable visage. "Your Pokémon aren't dead, Touko… Ghetsis has them locked up inside of the castle…"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "N!" I bleated, "You have to take me to…" He grabbed my hand, hard, and my voice cut out.

He was staring at me again with those smoldering eyes, "I can't." His voice was apologetic. "I wasn't supposed to tell you about them, so please don't say anything about it."

I frowned at him, blinking away tears. I knew there was no use fighting him about this; I could already tell by his eyes that he wasn't going to take me to my Pokémon. The only reason why he told me was to cheer me up. But was he telling the truth? To me it didn't matter. After what he'd told me I was silently laughing and crying to myself just because I thought they were still alive. I was sure that they hated my guts, but they weren't dead. N watched me with a sad smile, stroking the back of my frigid hand gently.

I wanted to thank N, at least for what he told me, but every time I tried to speak I kept choking on my tears and laughter. The alcohol was definitely kicking in and I was shivering like mad; N seemed to notice.

"Let's go back inside Touko, I don't want you to catch anything," he smiled again, coming over and helping me up. Once my tears had dried we walked back into the dance hall together.

We were welcomed by the comfortable warmth filling the room when we reentered the dance hall. I sighed in relief as I felt the heat wash over my cold limbs, not realizing until now how utterly frigid it had been out there. I was sure to count myself lucky if I didn't come down with the sniffles the next morning.

"Lord N. Your attendance is requested." A member of the Seven Sages, not one I could identify by name, appeared from the crowd and approached us. N threw me an apologetic look, seeming to know what the sage wanted. I shrugged in defeat and let him go off. It wasn't like I had any authority over him anyway. If he had to go then I knew I couldn't stop him.

"I'm sorry Touko, I'll see you back at our room later tonight," he took off after the Sage, but only stopped half way there to run back over and give me a parting kiss on the cheek. The feeling of his lips was so soft against my skin it was akin to the breath of the wind or a small drop of rain, and even after he had gone the feeling still lingered on my cheek, depressing me anew. I really hated such sadness. I couldn't understand why it wouldn't just leave be alone, even for just a small reprieve. But that's the thing with despair, you know. Once it latches on it takes a lot of effort to try and tear it off… I would know. And even if you do manage to tear it off your body will still be torn up from the barbs.

Concordia came to retrieve me only a moment later. I cursed myself for my stupidity. In that small moment that I was left alone, I may have been able to slip away unnoticed in this crowded gala. But I tried not to ponder on that too much. The last thing I needed was to procrastinate about what could have been. So I let Concordia lead me back to my table where a whole mountain load of cider and cheese balls awaited, just waiting for me to gobble them all up. I decided to wreck myself.

* * *

><p>About seven glasses of cider and an innumerable amount of cheese balls later that goal had been realized. I sat in my chair with my head lolled back as I stared drearily at the ceiling. A near empty glass of cider lay limp in my hand. The alcohol was finally kicking in and it was hitting me hard. This embarrassing little binge was my first time at really drinking some hard alcohol, and boy was I feeling it. I could hardly even remember where I was, let alone that N had told me my Pokémon were very much alive. Man… I was really wasted.<p>

"Hey!" I hissed leaning over towards Anthea. "Where's N!?" I tried to suppress a burst of laughter, failing, and make a fool of myself in the process. "Where…hehe…Where's N!?" I whispered again like it was some sort of big secret.

"Our lord N is very busy…" she began but I cut her off.

"WHAT!" I yelped, drawing the attention of a few passersby.

I shrunk back from there stares, looking at them like I'd fallen off my rocker.

I leant towards Anthea a second time, "But…" I almost broke down in another laughing fit. "He's busy…!? But that's what you allllwayyys tell me." She stared at me blankly not seeming too care too much about how stupid I was acting.

"Like… you know what I think! You want to know where I think he is!? You want to…" I stifled laugh, tipping my drink over, and having it spill over the ground without even noticing.

"Miss Touko, please settle down," Anthea said calmly.

"Shh!" I shushed her, "Listen… imagine N with a mustache… can you imagine him with a green mustache" I tried to take another sip of my drink but became completely dumbfounded by the lack of liquid in the glass. "Where'd my drink go…hic?" I began to sway.

Anthea and Concordia shared a look and quickly decided that it was in my best interest to bring me back to N's room. They grabbed hold of my arms, each on either side, and hauled me all the way back to his chambers and I didn't make it easy for them. In my drunken state I could hardly even walk right without their assistance, and the trek back was filled with much stumbling and tripping. I felt so bad about it after the fact but Anthea and Concordia aren't the type to hold a grudge. Still, both women remained patient and calm as they handled me. Eventually we returned to N's chambers. Upon arrival I found myself laughing uncontrollably for no apparent reason. Even to this day I have no idea. I may have been laughing about the thought of N sporting a green mustache, but thinking of it now that's more creepy than amusing. Laika was at her usual spot on the bed when we arrived. By the disgruntled looks I saw her giving me as I was escorted over, I could see that I had awoken her.

"Wait here for a moment Miss Touko," I heard them say as they sat me on the bed, but my mind could hardly register their voices. I just stared at Laika with a stupid smile on my face and she looked at me uneasily.

"Hyle!" I squawked at her. Laika cringed away; the potent smell of alcohol drifting from my mouth was clearly affecting her sensitive nose. "Hyle! What are you doing here?!" I questioned, stroking her head roughly. Laika looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. She was hardly as understanding as Anthea and Concordia were. She yipped angrily and ran off.

I reached out for her, falling over as I moved, "Don't leaaaave!" I cried out but she ignored me. Anthea and Concordia came back shortly after with a change of clothes. They stripped me out of my dress and into a regular tank top and a pair of shorts.

"Please try to get some sleep, Miss Touko," Concordia said as she made for the door.

I flopped back in the bed; the pressure in my head getting the better of me. "You're leaving?" I asked sadly.

"Please try to sleep," they repeated again before finally heading out the door and leaving me to my own devices.

After they had gone I continued to lie on the bed, silently laughing to myself about who knows what. Laika, having distanced herself from me, cast confused glances my way from her spot on a mound of pillows. She had no idea why I was laughing, and you know neither do I! Eventually I grew tired and fell into a numb sleep. Anthea and Concordia's words echoed endlessly through the confines of my head as the world grew dim.

_Please try to sleep_

The world became fuzzy and warped as my eyes slowly slammed shut.

* * *

><p>A few hours later I awoke in a cold sweat; my body ablaze with fever. Even though I was under the blankets of N's bed, encompassed by heat, I was trembling like mad and sweating buckets. A sharp pain erupted in my abdomen, and a sickening gurgle followed. Those cheese balls and all that alcohol wasn't sitting well inside of my body. I could feel it turning and swishing around. I could taste the sick bitterness of cider and cheese crawling up the back of my throat. I knew it wasn't going to stay down there for long.<p>

So I wouldn't tarnish the elegant fabrics of N's bed, I made an attempt to crawl over to the bathroom. I rolled off the bed, hitting the icy tile below with a muffled crash which seemed so much louder in my ringing ears. The temperature drop made it feel like I had fallen under cold ice.

"L-Laika…" I croaked. She was at my side in an instant, realizing something was wrong. The Zorua barked in concern.

"I feel… like I'm going to throw up…" A sickly gurgling in my stomach confirmed my fears.

_Not good_… I thought, _I really over did it with the cheese balls_.

I crawled along the floor on hands and knees towards the bathroom door. My body shivering with every move I made; the gurgling in my stomach turned into a sharp ache. Upon reaching the bathroom I latched onto the marble counter and pulled myself up on my feet. The lights flickered on, powered up by the signs of my movement, and my face was illuminated in the mirror.

Although I wished it wasn't. I looked wretched. My eyes were wet and bloodshot with dark shadows encircling the lids. My skin had become sickly white and my hair sprawled down on all sides of me making me look like some sort of medusa. I didn't have time to look long because I was quickly hit with a feeling of vertigo. I flung myself towards the toilet and made it just in time to dispel the waste in my stomach. It left a searing burn in my throat after it had forced its way out.

Laika came to the door, whining in worry. She watched me impishly as I dispelled the bile, sputtering and coughing as I went. During a small reprieve I reached up a trembling hand and flushed the toilet, trying my hardest not to look at was inside.

"Lai…ka…" I burst into another coughing fit. Laika dashed over from her spot in the doorway and yipped questioningly.

"I need… help…" I choked out, "Get… Concordia… Anthe… N… anyone," I clenched onto the toilet rim tightly, trying to suppress another wave of vomit. "Please…"

Without another word Laika was off, dashing through the door and out the dog flap at the main entrance. My vision darkened and my sight began to blur. I leant over the toilet again as another wave of vomit came rushing up my throat.

* * *

><p>Laika sped silently through the empty halls of the castle, which were so vast and large she seemed like a ball of dust in comparison. She blended in well with the deep shadows cast by the moon. If there'd been a soul about at this dead hour of the night no one would be able to spot her passage.<p>

Laika had set out to find N. She had a pretty good idea of where he might be if not inside of his own room, and that was in the throne room. Laika had hopes that he was still there now, considering that the dance ball had more than likely come to an end. Along the way Laika realized that N was not in fact in his throne room. He was with Ghetsis instead.

She discovered this when she passed the doorway to Ghetsis' study, slightly left ajar, and noticed them talking.

"The dance to commemorate the success of my victory went quite well," Ghetsis was saying from behind a large wooden desk at the far side of the room. N stood before it, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Even that little girl, who _thought_ that she could save the world, seems to have been broken," he laughed.

"I'm not sure she's given up yet," N replied.

Ghetsis snorted, "Give it another year or so and she'll soon waste away. She'll just sit in that tower and watch helplessly as the world is slowly reformed in my image!" he took a sip from a glass of red liquid he was holding which was presumably wine.

A silence lingered.

"You're wrong Ghetsis," N spoke up and Ghetsis all but froze.

"Did you speak?" he seethed.

"Touko won't lose hope. No matter how many years go by. She has a bond with her Pokémon that won't be broken, no matter how dark the earth becomes. She can…" N was about to continue, but was sharply cut off by a fist smashing into his face.

Laika, still watching at the doorway, turned away in shock as his body hit the ground with a crash.

"Silence, you wretched boy! Must I remind you that the only reason that girl is still alive is because I feel I must humor you." Ghetsis stood tall above N's fallen figure. N looked away, avoiding all eye contact with him. "If you disobey me, and continue to go on about such nonsense then she really won't make it through the year."

A horrible silence followed Ghetsis' piercing words; the weight of the soundless air pressing heavily against those silent in the room.

"Get out of my sight…" Ghetsis spat. N pulled himself up immediately and headed for the door. Once he had entered the hallway it slammed angrily behind him. A curtain of hair fell over his face, obscuring any expression that he may have worn. Laika's soft winning got his attention and caused him to look down.

"Laika? What are you doing here?" he asked kneeling down.

She continued to whimper, "Oh… you saw? Don't worry about it… I'm okay," N said trying discreetly to wipe the stream of blood from his lips. Laika wasn't completely convinced but she knew questioning further would get her nowhere. So she hurriedly informed N about Touko's poor condition.

"What? What happened to Touko?" Rather than sitting there and explaining it to him Laika sped off down the hall and N followed behind her.

When they re-entered the room Touko was nowhere to be seen. "Touko?" N called walking quickly to the dimly lit bathroom but stopped mid-step when he saw the sheets of his bed quiver. "Touko?!" He dashed to the side of the bed and gently pealed the covers away from the face of the girl.

* * *

><p>I winced, turning away from him. I didn't want him to see the mess I'd made of myself.<p>

"What on earth happened to you?" he asked, pressing a cool hand against my forehead.

I didn't respond. I wasn't going to tell him about the results of my binge on alcohol and food.

"Hold on for a minute," he left the bed only to be replaced by Laika who came over and softly licked my cheek. I smiled at her gratefully, as if saying thanks. She got the message and yipped a '_you're welcome'_. N reappeared with a cloth, damp with cold water. He dabbed it over my face before laying it down over my forehead.

"I'm going to open some windows…" he said, disappearing again. I heard a click and the whine of hinges being moved followed by a cool breeze wafting into the room. He came back over to the bed again.

"Are you feeling better?"

I nodded softly, feeling the pull of sleep come over me.

"Thank…" I tried to say but my throat was too dry to continue.

"It's alright," he said clasping my hand in his, "I'll be with you all night. I won't leave you Touko."

I was so tired, but for some reason I just couldn't pass out. Even with N beside me calming my nerves, I still couldn't doze off. After a while of silence N spoke again.

"Do you hate me Touko?" his voice was so soft that I hardly even heard him.

"Wha?" I found speaking rather difficult, "Why would I ever hate you? You're my best friend." Even after the huge vomiting fit I had, the alcohol hadn't been completely cleaned out of my system. I was still slurring all over the place.

"You're drunk aren't you?" N smiled at me in pity, "I should have told Anthea and Concordia to keep you away from the alcohol…" He stared absentmindedly at the ceiling, still grasping my hand securely.

"I'm sorry I've made you so sad…" he almost sounded like he was crying, but I couldn't hear the undertones in his voice as I crawled over him, using his lap as a pillow.

"We're best friends…you and me…hehe," I could hardly keep my eyelids open; I was finally about to pass out. "You could never make me sad, N. We're best friends…" I moved onto my back, giving him the biggest, stupidest smile ever and he smiled back.

"Thank you…Touko. Please go to sleep,"

I tried to keep smiling as long as I could before I was knocked out. I was so stupid I couldn't even see it. I couldn't even see the streams of tears running down N's bruised cheek. I passed out.


	4. Breaking Out Part One

After the maelstrom of petals had ended, Ghetsis's Seismitoad crashed to the ground in a motionless heap. Its moist skin covered head to foot in lacerations which poured blood onto the black-tiled floors.

_That was too close_, I thought as my heart thrummed wildly in my chest, and sweat beat down my face.

Ghetsis, casting a disappointed look towards his fallen Pokémon, returned the Seismitoad to the confinement of its ball before drawing out his next choice.

"Get ready for this Ophelia!" I shouted to my Pokémon, bracing myself for whatever came next. A Bouffalant was our next adversary. I grit my teeth hard. Neither side had a huge type advantage against the other, but Ophelia had taken serious damage from that last Pokémon. My Pokémon's low health could be the deciding factor if I didn't act quickly.

"Use Teeter Dance Ophelia!" I shouted, hoping for success.

Ophelia spread out the leaves on her body, rocking back and forth rhythmically as a high-pitched humming sound bounded off the walls of the throne room. In response to the confusing move produced by my Pokémon, Ghetsis's Bouffalant began to wobble on its hooves, barely managing to stand up straight.

_Yes! We just might take this one down!_ Or at least… that's what I thought.

"Bouffalant. Use Head Charge," Ghetsis commanded in an eerily still voice.

A gleam in Bouffalant's eyes signified its oncoming attack. With a crushing realization it donned on me that it had snapped out of confusion. I had not a moment to cry out my Pokémon's name as she was torn down before me, falling to a still heap over the crimson-stained tile.

"R-return!" I shouted, sealing my unconscious Pokémon back in her ball.

I wanted to heal her but I was fresh out of medicine, which meant that this was a do-or-die battle; a fight to the death. I couldn't afford to lose anymore Pokémon.

I looked up at my opponents with a look of determination that I hoped overshadowed the pit of nervousness growing in my gut. Ghetsis stood across from me with an unreadable look of malice spread over his aging face. His Bouffalant scraped the ground angrily with its raw hooves, snorting and slashing its horns through the air with a shake of its afro-like mane. The two of them were ready to destroy anything that I would throw out and it killed me.

_No. I won't lose here!_

"Hyle! Let's go!" I shouted, releasing my next Pokémon. Hyle launched out. Fire spewed from his nostrils as he hit the floor with a crash, sending shards of black tile flying through the air.

"Let's do this! Brick Break!" Hyle brought his fists up, kicked off from the ground, and sped straight towards Ghetsis's Bouffalant.

"Head Charge! One more time!" Ghetsis roared and the two Pokémon met in a blinding crash. Both attacks struck simultaneously knocking our Pokémon into unconsciousness. We called our fallen monsters back to their balls, reaching towards our belts to call out our next fighter.

"Eelektross, Go!" The air crackled with static as a long, green, eel-like Pokémon slithered out over the platform on Ghetsis' side.

"Go, Terra!" My Pokémon landed on the ground, jittering her body from side to side: ready for battle. Both of our fighters were electric types, apart from mine having the secondary typing of bug. Neither side had a huge advantage over the other, though I figured if I played this right I would be able to finish his Eelektross off without heavy injury on my part.

The last thing I expected was the jaws of my opponent to ignite with flame and burn my Terra down into unconsciousness. Eelektross had used flamethrower, and unfortunately for me that meant my Pokémon's destruction. She was taken down without even landing a single hit.

My legs began to tremble. The small crack of nervousness which clung unto my heart had spread into a fissure of despair, and I was teetering over the edge. My Pokémon were being slaughtered before me and I was helpless to stop it. I couldn't do anything!

It wasn't over yet; I realized that. My Pokémon had not given up; they weren't through yet. The determination they had was infectious to me. It rekindled my desire to win, to save this world. I managed to hold onto my sanity, just barely, and continue this vicious battle.

_I won't let it end like this!_

"Hana! You're up next!" I shouted, throwing out my next Pokémon. Hana was at a type disadvantage, being part water, but I hoped that she would hang on long enough to land a hit.

_Please…_

"Wild Charge!" Ghetsis ordered. The air blazed with electric current as his Eelektross lashed out like a snake. Hana was hit hard and she recoiled backward. That attack had hit a lot harder than I'd anticipated.

Ghetsis burst with laughter, "Pathetic girl! Did you really think you could win against me?"

I smirked under the brim of my hat.

Ghetsis was confused by my expression, "You find the destruction of your comrades amusing? Or have you simply gone mad with despair?"

"It's not over yet Ghetsis!" I shouted as Hana picked herself up. Her ability, _sturdy_, had kept her alive, but just.

Ghetsis scoffed; I could tell by his look that he wasn't expecting Hana to survive that attack, "You still won't win!"

"Hana! Use Aqua Tail!" A wave of water erupted forth from my Pokémon. Massive waves washed over our opponent, one after the other, each one drawing it deeper into the blue, choking out its air and drowning it further. I hadn't expected it to survive that attack, and that's probably why my response was delayed when his Pokémon burst through the waves and landed a heavy Wild Charge on us.

Hana was finished. Fragments of her broken shell clattered against the floor, falling motionless by my feet. With a trembling hand I returned her to her Pokéball.

The fear inside was growing stronger, and I was trying my best to conceal it. But by the constant sneers Ghetsis was giving me, I was sure he'd seen through my façade. He knew I was breaking and he was relishing in my ill concealed torment. But he had every right to. Ghetsis still had four Pokémon at his disposal while I was only holding on to two. He was practically glowing with overconfidence.

Things weren't looking good but I wasn't going to give up! No. Not until my last Pokémon falls and I fall with it.

How naïve.

I called out my iron knight, Luca, as my next fighter. He was a tough one who had really helped me out with the Elite Four. As long as Ghetsis didn't have any fighting-type Pokémon I was sure we'd be fine. "Let's finish it with stone edge!"

With luck the attack was just enough to finish Ghetsis's Eelektross off, finishing the job Hana had started. Eelektross lay motionless upon the floor; its twisting body was ripped apart by the projectile stones Luca had unleashed.

I stared at Ghetsis hard, hoping that he would falter once I displayed that I too could put up a good fight. I could tear his Pokémon down just like he did to me. But did my attempts have the same results?

I stared from his lifeless Pokémon right up into his eyes. I was shocked to see not a flicker of fear cross his scarlet eyes; not a trickle of doubt nor a sign that he would waver. He was as immovable as a mountain itself.

Ghetsis glowered, "You think you've won?"

A great unease began to build in the air. My Pokémon braced itself against the pressure. Something big was coming and we could both feel it.

"Go. Hydreigon," With a mighty flash a great three-headed dragon was released. Its body, a mix of black, midnight blue and purple, stretched high into the marble ceiling. The beast growled horribly from the back of its trinity of throats, gnashing its teeth in the air as if anxious for our flesh. It was a dragon of darkness.

Luca stared at it hard, bringing up a stance, preparing himself for any attack it might launch at us. The icy feeling of despair had come up to my lungs. I could hardly breathe under the pressure.

"Hydreigon. Use Focus Blast." Ghetsis' words rang out clear as a bell, as if it was the only sound in the world.

"L-Luca! Stone Edge!" But it was too late. The Focus Blast hit hard, smashing into my Pokémon and crushing my iron knight like a bug. It was a critical hit. Shrapnel from its broken armor scattered across the floor with a metallic clatter. I watched him lie there, blood seeping through the cracks in his broken body as my eyes became wet with tears.

"L-Luca?" I squeaked out its name, but the only response I heard was Ghetsis' wild laughter.

I brought up a shaking hand, returning my motionless Pokémon back into its ball. One more. I only had one more left.

…_I won't give up…_

"Rhoden! Go!" My great eagle-like Pokémon launched into the air like a torpedo, soaring around the room once before coming in front of me, beating his massive wings threateningly. Rhoden was always a brave one and didn't falter under the pressure and fear that Hydreigon radiated. On the other hand I was teetering over the edge of madness.

This was it. If Rhoden fainted it was all over. So many things could go wrong, and even then my mind flooded with all the horrible outcomes that could transpire. My next attack could miss; Ghetsis could get another critical, maybe Hydreigon was immune, and even if it wasn't another one of Ghetsis's three Pokémon could know any electric and rock moves that could knock Rhoden out.

Despite all the odds stacked against me I managed to cling onto my sanity and call out an attack.

"Crush Claw!" I shouted, hoping for a miracle. A critical hit perhaps? Maybe Hydreigon's next attack would miss.

_Please… Please… it can't end like this…_

Rhoden raised its talons and brought them down with all its force against Ghetsis's Pokémon. Hydriegon reeled back smashing into the floor behind Ghetsis. I looked up in shock. Rhoden had knocked it down! A glimmer of hope ran through me.

_We'll win…!_

"It's over…" Ghetsis said. I stared at him blankly because I knew he was right. On a subconscious level I could feel the terminus seeping in.

"Hydreigon, use Dragon Pulse."

The great serpentine creature raised its body up; a bright glow reverberated from the maws of its three heads. The attack hit and it was over in a flash. Rhoden was knocked out in one hit, being struck back so violently he was whipped into a column supporting the castle's roof. A dead silence followed as the smoke slowly cleared. The lifeless body of my last Pokémon fell in a heap behind me, and my mind shattered. I fell off into a gorge of despair.

"It's over." Ghetsis concluded, returning his Hydreigon back into its ball. I collapsed to my knees in the pool of blood my Pokémon had left behind.

"Restrain her, now!" Ghetsis called out to what I guessed were his soldiers… but I couldn't see. I could hardly register anything. The only thing that made sense in my shattered mind was the fact that I failed. I lost to Ghetsis.

I looked up hopefully towards the one person in the world who could change this turn of events, to the only hero left. I found N standing there solemnly right behind Ghetsis, watching me with hollow gray eyes. I reached a desperate hand out; begging for his help.

My heart shattered as he turned his back on me, and the malaise took hold of my heart. While my mind crumbled inward, my Pokémon were stripped from my belt and taken away. Where? I don't know. Are they even alive? Despite what N told me at the ball I could never be certain. Judging by the wounds they received during the battle I wouldn't have been surprised if they died right on the spot.

I do know for certain that I was weak. I failed myself that day. I failed my team, and I failed the world which now burns because of me.

.

.

Chapter Four

**Breaking Out** [Part One] (…_the white princess escapes_)

.

I awoke the next morning to find myself buried deep in the confines of N's bed, wrapped up like a cocoon under sheets upon sheets of colourful velvet. The only thing that seemed to remain from my '_alcohol experience'_ the night prior was a dull headache which pulsated through my skull. The head pain was probably the only reason why I didn't just sleep for the rest of the day, but I was distraught by this headache and was, unfortunately, unable to pass out again. It was probably a good thing in a way, because the worst thing for my body would be to sleep and laze about all day. Regardless, I was fortunate to come out of that ordeal with only a migraine to show for it. I know it could have been much worse and I made a promise to avoid drinking like that ever again.

I squirmed out of the tepid sheets out into the morning light which beamed right into my eyes.

_Great, just what my head needs_. I squinted hard, trying to pick out figures through my blurred vision.

Everything came into focus soon enough and I noticed Laika perched at the foot of the bed. She was turned away looking out over the room, but I could hardly see her through the horrible glare that beamed in through windows. I crawled over, still groggy from sleep deprivation plus the hangover, and flopped down beside her. She barked a '_hello_' and I responded by giving her a quick scratch behind the ear, which I could tell she enjoyed by the huge smile on her face.

A sharp clicking sound caught my attention, causing me to jolt up in shock. I scanned the room until I found the source of the noise, and it came as a shock. I was completely dumbfounded by the state of N's room. The sections of toy train rails which once scattered the floor in lonely clumps had now been assembled forming a twisting and winding path all throughout the room.

"Whoa," I breathed, unable to take my eyes of the sight. Pushing the feelings of awe aside, at least for a brief moment, I tried to locate the assembler of the tracks. My eyes darted around quickly until I located him, and it didn't take long to spot him. N was sitting near the edge of the room, continuing his meticulous goal of bringing the tracks together. A small click sounded from where he joined the toy rails. He was turned away and I couldn't see his face.

"N… What are you doing?" I called out to him but there was no response.

"He did all this?" I turned to Laika for some answers, but because of the language barrier she simply nodded. She couldn't explain to me what kind of reason N had to suddenly put all these train tracks together. And it made me wonder why he had decided to build a huge train station all over the room in the first place. Not that I was complaining; it was better that the rails were assembled opposed to laying out over the room where they were sure to stab into my feet. But what was the reason? Was he just taking a break from his strenuous kingly routine just to have a little bit of fun? It seemed like the only sensible reason. Either that or he'd gone crazy.

Laika and I watched him for a bit as he slowly assembled the tracks, spreading them out like veins across the black tiled floor. He built the path around colourful pillows that probably looked like hills and mountains in the toy's eyes. It even went around the bed in a round-a-bout sort of way. At one point, N changed the path of the tracks to wind around the circumference of the room. When he had reached the row of windows I thought of a brilliant idea.

"Hey, Laika," I nudged her after a long silence. She looked up with a faint curiosity. "Let's go dig up one of N's trains and put it on the track! I want to see what it looks like moving along this thing!" I hopped up from the bed and headed towards the nearest toy box in sight. Laika followed behind, whether she was genuinely interested or just humoring me, I'll never know. It didn't take much searching to dig up a toy train. In fact it was quite literally sitting on top of the box.

"I found one," I said yanking it out and looking it over. It was a plastic locomotive, incredibly detailed with frightening precision. The maker of this toy clearly poured their heart into it. It was painted red and black with a triad of gold numbers on its left side: 788. On the other side was a small lever used to wind it up into motion. I started cranking it until it refused to move.

"Okay…" I slowly placed the train on the nearest string of tracks, not really knowing where it began or ended anyway. "Go!" It took off in a flash, quickly chugging down the plastic tracks. "To the bed! To the bed!" I hollered. Laika and I made a beeline for the bed which was the perfect vantage point to watch the train's journey, being in the center of the room and all. We flung ourselves onto the covers, scrambled over to the edge and watched our train begin its voyage.

It wound its way through towns made of toy boxes and building blocks, darted past space men and towering robots. After it had passed this child-like world, it raced over the vast oblivion that the floor cast. For some reason I really flipped out when it came around the bed.

"WOW! Check it out! Look! Look!" I babbled quickly, pointing at the train as it chugged around N's bed. Laika yipped in response, wagging her tail joyously. We were really having a little bit too much fun. Our little train sped on until its adventure came to an abrupt end when it came by the windows of the room, where N was still seated. I watched, waiting for it to pass by him but it never did. Laika and I shared a confused look, and I went over to investigate. When I reached his spot on the floor I could see the train over his shoulder, turned on its side with its wheels spinning tirelessly in vain. The tracks had ended.

"There's a piece missing," N stated, his voice monotone.

I walked in front of him, picked up the train and steadied it back on the tracks. It was too sad just watching it sit there spinning its wheels and going nowhere.

"I wouldn't worry about it," I told him. "It's probably hiding under the bed or in one of these toy boxes somewhere." I took a quick glance around to see if I could spot it out perchance. But without such luck I turned back to N with a smile of encouragement.

"I'm sure we can find…" My words fell ill in my throat, under the brim of N's hat… behind his bangs… I noticed something black on his face. Before I could react he stood up suddenly and headed towards the door.

"N!" I called, scrambling up quickly and heading him off before he could reach the exit. I grabbed onto his arms with force, halting him. He tried to look down, to avoid showing his face to me but I could see it now. There was a huge bruise covering the length of his cheek.

"N… what happened to you?" He didn't answer. "Did… Ghetsis do this to you?" The following silence only confirmed my suspicions.

"N you…" I paused, wondering if I should continue or not. "You… You don't have to be controlled by that man! You don't have to listen to everything he says, especially when you know he's wrong! If you'd just say no… if you'd just make the effort to fight against him I know you could beat him." N remained motionless, "And… and if you won't then please, please take me back to my team!"

"No." He responded tersely.

"Why the hell not! Are you willing to just stand by and let Ghetsis fuck this world!" I shouted, letting slip my patients.

N surprised me by breaking his gaze with the floor and staring straight into my eyes with burning fervor. "You don't understand anything!" He said angrily. He shoved me out of the way and disappeared out the door, slamming and locking it behind him, sealing me in the prison.

I stared at the door for a moment, waiting for him to return when I knew he never would. A dull numbness hung over my emotions. I had never seen him react like that… and in front of me. It donned on me that the bruise on his face wasn't the only wound N was carrying, whether on the outside or the inside.

I kicked the door angrily with my foot.

_Idiot…_

With a curse I stormed back over to the bed, steam literally fuming from my ears. All I wanted to do at that moment was disappear. I'd had enough of this disgusting castle! I'd had enough of this malaise! All I wanted was to be free, but if N wasn't willing to oblige than what could I do? There was no way that I could get out of here!

I dove deep into the blankets.

Laika hopped up on the bed, yipping questioningly.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, my voice muffled by the large pillow I had thrown my head under. Laika whined softly, but I crawled deeper and deeper into N's bed until her voice faded. Everything faded and until my headaches put me to sleep.

I awoke nearly an hour later and slowly peeked out from under the sheets. From what I could see the room was vacant.

I shed the covers and looked about, "Laika…?" Only silence followed. "…N?" Nothing.

_Fine_, I thought angrily, _it's not like I care if I'm alone_.

I pulled myself out of bed and stomped towards the bathroom in a huff. I was in desperate need of a shower and I hoped that the warm water would calm my nerves. I never made it there.

I tripped over one of N's low lying toy boxes by accident and sent the toys flying to the floor with a clatter. I cursed and fell with it.

"Damn it, N!" I shouted to the empty room, "Why do you always have to leave your stupid toys all over the place! I step on these things you know! It hurts like hell you stupid, Pokémon-loving weirdo!"

I was pretty thankful that he wasn't around to hear that, but getting all that off my chest felt great.

I hauled myself up, turning around to see the mess I'd made. It wasn't a pretty sight. Many of his toys were scattered about and I noticed that some had broken in the force of the fall. I bit my lip, pushing down a pang of guilt.

A sharp glinting caught my eye. Under the mess of toys I'd made was the missing piece of the train tracks. I gasped, reaching for it quickly as if it were about to get up and run away. It was broken… many of the wooden boards running horizontally between the two bars of plastic steel had shattered off.

_Oh man_… I thought to myself, _I hope N won't get mad about this_.

I looked around guiltily at the roads of train track coating the floor, and thinking that it would never been completed if the final piece was broken. I tried to suppress a small shudder as a chill ran through my spine. A cool breeze was drifting into the room, gently stirring my hair and giving me the chills, especially with the short clothes I was… wait… a breeze!

I scrambled towards the windows, too focused to even drop the train track I held. At first glance they seemed to be closed.

_No_. I thought, _I know I felt a breeze coming from somewhere… somewhere_.

Then I saw it. One of the windows was open a sliver and that's where the breeze was coming through. It was an exit. A chance to escape! I ran for it, trying to squeeze my fingers though the gap. But they wouldn't fit. The opening was too small. I cursed to myself, clenching my fists and having the toy track poke my skin in the grip.

Inspiration suddenly struck. I looked down at the damaged section of train rail in my hand. This small toy just might be thin enough to fit through the window. I could use it as a lever to pry it open! I leapt towards the window without a second's hesitance. I was fully aware that Anthea and Concordia, or even N could return at any moment and catch me in the act. I shoved the plastic track into the gap and it fit just fine; it gave not the slightest protest. I slowly began to move it back and forth, and with each movement the crack in the window began to widen.

The plastic track snapped and I stumbled backward with a curse. It had wacked my hand pretty hard upon breaking, but I was alright. No damage was done. I quickly raced back to the window to see if I had opened the gap wide enough to slip my fingers through, and I had. It had worked! I managed to wiggle my fingers through the opening quite easily.

_Yes!_

Using all the strength I could muster I yanked the window open, which was no easy task mind you. The windows in N's room were meant to be opened outward not inward. I was pulling against the hinges hard, and I think the only reason they truly gave in was because they had weakened with age. I pulled harder and harder, grunting with effort as the window screeched in protest. I had to stop; my fingers were starting to strain. But by then the gap had already widened enough for me to slip through, although just barely.

I hesitated for a brief moment, a sudden realization coming to me. If I were to crawl out the window then I would be suspended on a thin sliver of railing thousands of thousands of feet above ground level. And I was afraid of heights. This was a bit of a problem. My heart had already begun to beat against my ribcage and into my throat. I was already trembling like a leaf in the breeze. Why did N's room have to be so bloody high up in the air?

_You can't do this_. One of those self-loathing voices took its chance to speak up inside of my head. I know everyone has one of those. You know, the voice that tells them they're a failure and a disgrace and disparages any feelings of happiness that arise. I was all to familiar with this voice because it had been my only company, apart from N and Laika, in my imprisonment in this castle. It had been keeping pretty quiet lately, but now of all times mine had to rear its ugly head. _You'd fall and die the second you stepped foot out there. Give up. It's not like you have the power to save the world anymore anyway. It's been too long. The world has already been torched and maimed. _It seemed to grow louder, bounding off the walls of my skull as my stomach lurched with each spoken thought. _You can't win, Touko. You aren't a hero._

I almost broke down. Each word seemed so true; so real and so sharp like a blade. Each thought was cutting deep into my morale, and I almost gave up. It would be so much easier to turn my back on his opportunity. So much easier to crawl back under the bed sheets and cry, awaiting nightmares. Trying to leave this haven would lead me right to death.

But then I thought of something.

Maybe the voice was right. Maybe I wasn't a hero. But I would be even less of a hero if I continued to rot in this room while the world burned. My Pokémon were the same; I already knew that. They fought beside me during my final hour with unshakable spirit. And even if they were dead, I couldn't forsake their sacrifice by turning my back on the world.

_I won't give up._ I took a step towards the open window; the breeze stirring my hair around my bony frame. _Not here._

_Not now. _I sucked in my gut and squirmed through the gap separating my prison from the outside world.

_I'm breaking out of here!_ Without even taking a final glance towards N's empty room I stepped out into the frigid autumn air thousands and thousands of feet above the earth below.

A blast of cold wind hit me upon my departure. I shrieked, clinging desperately to the grooves in the windows as I nearly tumbled off the lean ledge which was the only thing separating me from a deadly fall. I had never been so scared in my entire life, but I didn't turn back. My resolve was hard as the earth itself, and I'm not the type of person to bail out once I've set my mind on something. The heights still, were terrifying to say the least.

The world outside Team Plasma's wall of a castle was covered in a blanket of patchy fog. The clouds were thick and they swarmed heavily around the face of the structure, blocking the view to the ground below. But there were some instances where the shield of clouds broke away, opening up view to the barren world beneath, which was coated in its own veil of fog. On a regular clear, sunny day this would have been unfathomably harder to do. At least with all the cloud cover I could craft a deception that I wasn't really high up as I really was. It was a flimsy delusion, but it kept me sane as I inched along the pale face of the castle against the moist but icy wind.

I dared not look down although it was hard not to. Instead I tried to find another window somewhere along the face of the castle. It didn't take much looking until I found one. It was a couple of yards away; a dark tinted, square-hole set right in the middle of the castle wall. A couple of windows echoed behind it along the face of the building until it curved away into oblivion. It wasn't in easy walking distance, but the ledge I was clinging to lead straight to it. I swallowed hard and began my slow trek to the window where I would break back in. What I would do then was all up to the nature of the room inside. I would think that up when I gained a better understanding. I had to progress for now.

It was a daunting task, and I'm not really sure how I pulled it off. I went on at a snail's pace, being ravaged by icy winds and numbing fear as I went. I kept myself focused on the window –my goal- and tried to keep my attention off the staggering drop below.

_Easy now… Easy… You can do this Touko_, I repeated in my head as I inched steadily along. The disparaging voice in my head had been silenced by my fortitude, which was good because if it decided to make a comeback I was surely to lose focus and fall. I suddenly felt no pressure beneath my feet. The ledge I was crawling across had ended and I didn't even notice until I felt myself fall.

I didn't even notice. The ledge was parted and only resumed again right before my destination: the window. I'd kept my eyes on my goal so intently. I didn't even bother to see where I was walking. And so, I fell.

I reached out desperately, trying to grab onto a ledge or a groove in the castle… anything! I simply grabbed at thin air. I fell, screaming, feeling the wind rush over me like a torrent. My mind buzzed frantically with panic. I could hardly even register that I was falling, or that eventually I was going to hit the ground and die.

Fortunately for me that never happened. I connected heavily with some sort of solid structure mid way through my fall. It knocked the air out of me and I rolled over onto my side, trying to get a breath. When I felt nothingness under me I realized I was rolling off the edge of the structure. I was quick to react this time and I latched onto the platform's edge, pulling myself up to safety and preventing another fall. Once I was sure I would come to no more harm, or be put in another fatal situation, I assessed my whereabouts.

I hadn't fallen very far from the ledge outside of N's room. Looking up I realized that the fall had only been about six feet or so. I still counted myself lucky that nothing was broken. I sat on a flat platform-like ledge that was much thicker and wider than the one outside N's room. I had the opportunity to collect myself and figure out what to do next.

Looking down at the white stone, I guessed that there was a room underneath but it didn't look like there was a way to get in from where I was. Disregarding that, I spotted a window a few yards to my right. It was different from the last black-tinted window I tried to get to. It had some sort of a wooden frame by what I could see, and the glass wasn't tinted, but I couldn't see much more than that. The window was to my right, separated only by a fragmented platform-like ledge which broke away and left gaping holes I'd have to jump across to get to.

I nearly died. Walking along the outside of this stupid castle was bad enough, but jumping!

"You're kidding," I wheezed, finding the strength to pull myself up. I walked over to the side of the ledge to gauge the distance I would have to jump from one platform to the next. There was a mix of delight and utter terror when I realized that, with enough momentum, I'd be able to jump the gap and get to the window…probably. Each platform was on a lower level then the last, and there was only one separating me from the window. I pursed my lips in thought. That meant two jumps to get to the window; one off this ledge and then one off the next.

I licked my lips, staring at the window hard. _I'm getting to you._ I walked over to the far edge of my platform and crouched down in starting position. I waited, staring at the window with burning intensity. The wind continued to lash at me but I waited it out. Waiting… waiting… The howling wind died down and a dead silence settled over the heights.

_GO!_

I took off, belting forward like some sort of Olympic runner. My feet slammed against the solid platform as the approaching edge grew closer every second.

_JUMP!_

I kicked off from the edge and propelled myself forward. Time seemed to slow in this leap of fate, and I couldn't help but take a small look downward. The blanket of clouds, almost as if mocking me, broke away and showed me the immeasurable drop below. I could hardly even see where the castle ended it was simply too far away.

I hit the next platform, and managed to steady myself and continue my mad dash without breaking the momentum. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. I was actually doing it! I didn't lose my footing and fall. My ankle didn't roll. It boosted my morale tenfold.

I kept screaming in my head to run, to just go and not stop. I couldn't give up. Failure was not an option here. The end of the second platform before the window drew near, and I readied myself for the last jump. I didn't realize how far away this final platform was until I head leapt. It was out of reach. No matter how hard I pushed off the ledge or how fast I was running it seemed like I wasn't going to make it. It seemed like I would fall by the ledge, separated by only a hair, and tumble to my demise. I reached my hand out, grabbing for the edge in desperation. If I could just get a hold of it then I would be home free. But I was falling too quickly I wasn't going to make it!

You know how people say when you stare straight into the face of death your whole life flashes before your eyes? That kind of happened to me. But it was weird for some reason. I seemed to flash back to my defeat against Ghetsis, but there was no blood or death or any of that. I could just see my Pokémon, each standing before me with determination blazing in their eyes. They were brave fighters who could never be knocked down, at least not for long. They fought against the impossible. My Pokémon were the real heroes here.

Then it was… well… all I could see after that was N's face. He was just staring at me, but he was smiling and looked so happy I felt like I could bawl. I felt guilty for having turned my back on him, and I hoped that he would forgive me someday.

"You're a hero," I thought I heard him say to me, and I wanted to deny it. A wretched creature like me is anything but a hero. He then finished, "because you are free."

I flaring intensity burned inside my body, blazing through my veins and my soul became an inferno.

_I won't give up_! I roared like mad, reaching out to the approaching ledge as I descended down. Somehow, against all odds, I grabbed hold of the edge of the final platform just before it fell out of reach. I slammed into the marble platform; the air forcefully leaving my lungs in a pained gasp. My vision blurred as a wave of pain washed through my chest, running through my ribs as I scrambled onto the ledge. I almost slipped off due to the clamminess of my hands, but despite the weeping of my joins and the howling of my fingers, I managed to pull myself up into safety.

I fell onto my back with tears streaming down my face; eyes set on the gray sky above and I laughed. I laughed louder than ever before, and my throat hated me for it. But for some reason I couldn't stop and was soon cackling like a mad man.

"I did it guys…" I choked between laughs, "I did it…"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

Nothing is impossible. If you believe in yourself and work as hard as you can, then anything can become a reality. Never give up and never lose hope.

You may have noticed that I haven't revealed any of Touko's Pokemon yet (at least not directly). But fear not, _this is all happening for a reason. _Any brave souls willing to chance a guess at what her team consists of? I've thrown out some pretty big hints! Prize of virtual pastries rewarded to those who guess right! (not really though.)

Also, the title of this chapter is vaguely inspired by a song called **Breaking Out **by _The Protomen._


	5. Breaking Out Part Two

…_I keep asking myself… when will things change?_

I tried to pull open the window I had reached, trying to wedge my fingers between the divide of wood. There were no handles on this window, no surprise there; still, I was hoping by some impossible convenience that there would be. I tried to peer through the musty glass on one of the eight sections that made up this window, cupping my hands around my face to stave off the harsh glare. Even with all the cloud cover it was tough to see through with the unnaturally bright light emanating off the sky, but from what I could see the room beyond seemed to be some sort of library. I could just make out the figures of towering bookshelves through the sky's glare. I squinted hard as I tried to pick out some sort of motion or movement that would announce if the room was occupied or not. After a few minutes of looking, and seeing not a stir, I decided to break the window down.

I shoved my shoulder against the frame, testing its strength as the wind whipped by in all directions and tousled my hair into my face. The window was sturdy, and another one that wasn't meant to be opened inward. It meant I would have to break it in, and I was nervous considering the glass and all. I took a few wide glances along the face of the castle to see if I could spot an easier entrance, but every window I found was too far out of reach. This was the only way I was going to get in. I sucked in a breath and began to throw my weight against the wooden frame but it wouldn't give way.

After a few attempts at entry, and a bit of colourful language, I tried a different approach. I stood up with my back towards the window, holding onto the wall above it with all my strength and threw my rear against the wooden frame. It didn't yield on the first attempt at butt-smashing but a loud, splintering crack caught my attention. It was beginning to buckle! Again! I threw my rear against the window a second time and it gave slightly inward. My heart fluttered in excitement and the realization that I was pulling this off. I spun around, eager to see what progress I had made. The wooden frame of the window was caving inward right at the divide.

_One more shove ought to do it,_ I thought, licking my lips nervously.

I took in a huge breath, braced myself for the impact and charged, throwing my weight against the weakened frame, concentrating the force onto my right shoulder. And man did that window snap. I ran into it much harder than need be, and it shattered against my weight. Whipping violently inward with a smash, I was sent tumbling into the room below. The momentum of my fall had sent me spiraling out of control. Everything happened so quickly that my mind couldn't keep up with my body. I hit something in my decent which I thought was the floor at first, but I continued to topple downward. I was still falling? I was dumbstruck with numbing fear and sickening vertigo; I couldn't make a move to save myself. The world finally ceased in its nauseating spiral when I smashed into the floor with crippling force, having the air I'd took in forcefully pushed out of my lungs. It felt like a punch to the stomach. I saw my saliva flick across the wooden ground as I sputtered painfully, the force of the impact ran through my body like a wave.

My vision flooded back in speckles as I lay paralyzed. I tried to figure out what had happened. I gave a pained moan as the ceiling faded back in. It was hard trying to move my body, and for a frightening moment I thought I'd crippled myself, or banged something crucial that would leave me immobilized. Thankfully that wasn't the case and I pulled myself up on shaking limbs taking in deep, heaving breaths. Shards of glass sprinkled the floor around me, their sharp edges glistening in the cloudy daylight.

I looked up towards the window to see the damage I had done. The wooden frame was just barely hanging onto its hinges, rocking back and forth with a creak in the breeze. The glass in the framed segments had been shattered out and now scattered the floor. I jumped in shock, padding my body down to see if I had been cut by the jagged shards. I found many small cuts and gashes coating my arms and legs. It left my clothes a bit of a mess, but I wasn't seriously injured. The most unnerving of the cuts rested right below my left eye, on my cheek. I poked at it, wincing, just to feel the wetness of my blood.

_That was too close…_

A bookcase lay under the shattered window. I figured it was what I slammed into during my fall before hitting the ground. It unnerved me. I hadn't even seen it there before. I curled myself up in a trembling ball in the shadow of the bookcase. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to come out of that incident with only a few cuts and scratches. I knew that it could have been much worse. I could have smashed my skull on the floor; my neck could have broke and my limbs could have snapped in two. I couldn't suppress a laugh. I know you're probably thinking I'm crazy, I know I was too. But I had cheated death, not once but twice however since leaving N's room and I was still alive. My sides were aching and my throat felt dry as sand but I still cackled like a maniac.

_I must be the luckiest girl in the world._

After that small fit of insanity, I pulled my bruising body off the ground, deciding that I'd better get a move on. I left the scene, prancing nervously around the shards of glass still specking the floor and off into the maze of bookshelves beyond. I noticed rather quickly, after leaving the scene of my break-in, that the library I'd stumbled into was completely void of life. All was silent apart from the thrumming of my heart accompanied by shaking breaths and padding footsteps. I still feared that someone was hiding deep in this place, on one of the many floors of the room which stacked up towards the darkened ceiling. If this person, imaginary or not, had heard my break-in they could be watching me, studying my every move, waiting for the right moment to attack! But I knew my imagination was just torturing me. If the room really was habited my break-in would have already been noted and I'd been captured the second I crashed onto the floor. As far as my rational mind was concerned this place was a ghost town.

A nervous gurgle in my stomach sounded whenever I thought of N returning back to his chambers to see I'd vanished. With the windows of his chamber still agape, I wondered if he'd think that I'd thrown myself out the tower and plummeted to my death. I gnawed on my lip guiltily, hating to put him through that kind of anguish, but I couldn't let that hold me down. It took a bit of work to stamp out those thoughts, but I continued on, quickening my pace in search of an exit.

The library wasn't as wide as it was tall, and because of that I saved myself from running around blindly through aisle after aisle of books until I found an exit. I found a large wooden door bordered on either side by massive mahogany bookcases and Plasma flags. My heart jumped right to my throat in anticipation of this possible exit. This could be a way out! Or, worst case scenario, it led to another room of the library, and if that was the case I swore I was gonna lose it. But just as my fingers grazed the cold bronze handle a glint of blue light caught my eye. I whipped towards the light just as it vanished. My feet felt like they were frozen in place.

_What was that?_

A dark hallway to my right lead deep into the belly of the library, and for some reason it felt like something was calling to me. I know that sounds ridiculous right? Even I thought I'd whacked my head too hard during my fall, but the feeling was overwhelming. I couldn't ignore it. So I put my escape on hold and dashed off down the hall to discover what was beckoning to me.

My heart was in my throat as I travelled the hallway I'd taken. It soon led to a wooden staircase taking me to the second level of the library. The layout was different on this level. A round, black table was the dominating feature, bordered on all sides by, you guessed it, bookshelves. I couldn't believe how many books there were in this place and I couldn't help wondering what they were written about, though I hardly had time to pull up a chair. A wooden doorframe was set on the far wall which led into a book-lined hallway. A sharp glint flickered out from the depths.

I proceeded into the hall, bringing up my fists defensively if something unseen were to happen. I reached the end of the passage which terminated at another bookshelf, and shoved dead-center inside of the shelf was a thick brown book. A small jewel which resembled a shard of ice was embedded into its spine, glinting eerily in the absence of light.

This was it… I could feel it. I pulled the book from the shelf with haste and quickly scanned the cover. _Kyurem, god of ice. _It was written in sweeping golden font, sticking straight out from the dark brown surface.

_Kyurem…_ I repeated the name subconsciously. Somehow… it sounded familiar to me.

I slowly pealed the book open, eager to learn more. I didn't have time to pull up a chair and read from cover to cover so I quickly flipped through the pages to see what I could find. I stumbled onto a shocking illustration mid-way through the book, which nearly made me drop it from my grasp. The image depicted a large, gray dragon towering over a world of frozen bodies and dead ice. Rivers of blood streamed through the snow covered ground where it stood. Bits of flesh and bone lay wedged inside of its spade-like teeth, glistening in snow light. I couldn't breathe for a moment. My eyes seemed locked onto the monstrous dragon in the illustration, with yellow eyes ablaze with fury it looked like it wanted to devour me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as the sound of a door opening echoed through the library. I gasped, fumbling around with the book clumsily and slamming it shut. I clenched the tome to my chest gritting my teeth in the tension, perking up my ears and listening for noise. A steady _clomp, clomp, clomping_ of footsteps alerted me to this unexpected visitor. I slunk back against the wall, my breath caught in my throat as I waited for something to happen. I hoped against all hope that the intruder, whoever they were, wouldn't wander up to the second level of the library where I was hiding. Worst case scenario they'd want a book from my hallway and that thought alone made my heart tremble. It felt like the whole world had turned against me when I heard the visitor slowly stomp up the stairs which lead to the second level. I crouched low, hoping to hide myself in the gloom of the hallway if they passed by. I cringed outwardly, dreading the thought of my break-in being discovered. The window was still smashed open, already filling the room with a chilled breeze. I began cursing profanities inside my head.

A member of the Seven Sages slowly hobbled into view, not even glancing in my direction. He appeared to be a senile old man, having a long gray beard coming down from his face which wagged to and fro with every step he took. A pair of small eye glasses lay perched on the bridge of his prominent nose. He shuffled by, heading in a different direction towards the far side of the room. A gleam of hope ran through me. If he headed off somewhere into the library then I could slink away unnoticed.

_Go away, go away, go away._ I tried to signal him telepathically.

As if hearing my unspoken demands he walked by out of view, and the following sounds of clomping footsteps lead me to believe that he was heading up to the third level of the library. I slid the book I clenched back onto the shelf and hurried to the edge of the hallway to see if the Sage really was heading off. And indeed he was. I noticed the large pointed cap, which was standard dress-code for the sages, disappearing into the deep halls on the third level. Good. If I was gonna go then I'd better do it now.

As quiet as a Patrat I hurried out of the hallway, sped down a staircase, without tripping, to the bottom floor. I ran back to where I found the door and yanked it open. It gave a sharp squeal which made me flinch, but I didn't hesitate. I slipped right out the door and jumped with joy when I saw that it led out of the library and into the castle. I sped down the crystalline halls, grinning like a fool, unable to believe that I had gotten out of that scene without being captured.

_I must be the luckiest girl in the world!_ I thought as I turned a corner and slammed head-first into a duo of Plasma soldiers. I staggered back from the force of our impact, flailing in shock, trying to stop myself from crashing onto the floor. The weight difference between the guard and I did the work. I flopped down onto my rump without him even giving me so much as a nudge. Before I could make an attempt at standing up and speeding away, the Plasma guard took hold of my forearm, hauling me up with a violent jerk.

"Well, well. Now what do we have here?" He asked, smirking deviously under his shaggy beard. I tried some feeble attempt at resistance but the guard overpowered me. There's just not much a ninety pound, bony girl can do against a burly duo of Plasma soldiers. There was no conceivable way I could wriggle out of his grip, unless… I cast a glance toward his crotch, preparing to kick, but when I found his hips clad in armor I became limp in defeat.

_I'm the unluckiest girl in the world…_

Still, I wouldn't give up, not now after I'd come so far. "Let go!" I cursed angrily, bringing up my offence again, trying to whack the guy with my flailing limbs minus my left arm which he still had hold of in his iron grip. The bearded guard who had hold of me, shoved me into his partner who grabbed my arms and restrained them behind my back.

"Well now… we can't let the prisoner go now can we? We wouldn't be very good guards if we did that." The soldier behind me said with a mocking edge.

"How did a little girl like you break out anyway?" The bearded soldier inquired, scanning me uncomfortably with his emerald eyes. The look he was giving me sent chills down my spine. This guard was one of Ghetsis' soldiers. I could tell by his uniform. But he wasn't wearing the customary black visor over his face for some reason. He flashed a mocking smile under the scruffy hairs on his face which put me on edge.

"I guess she still has a little bit of fight in her," The one behind me said. The guard with the beard scoffed, bringing his face right up to mine, so close that I could taste the fishiness on his breath.

"Did you really think that you could escape this place? Or did you forget your last defeat against Lord Ghetsis?" he smirked, "You failed, little girl."

I glowered at him, wishing that looks could kill.

"There's no hope left for you," he laughed and my heart was nicked with sadness. The malaise was building back up inside of me, aroused by this soldier's mockery. It was the last thing I needed. But I refused to give in to the sadness. Not again!

The guard brought his face even closer until it was just inches from mine. "You are nothing," he sang. I responded by shooting a wad of spit at his face. He reeled back angrily, rubbing the saliva off in fury.

"You little bitch!" he roared throwing his fist right into my stomach. The air was sharply pushed from my lungs for a second time today, and I doubled over in pain: coughing sporadically.

"I'll teach you not to mess with me," he seethed reaching for the collar of my shirt. I was still recovering from the blow he dealt and I had no energy to strike back or resist. And his partner still had tight hold on my arms. This wasn't looking good. However, just as the soldier grabbed hold of my shirt a thick haze began to build in the hallway.

The guards looked around in alarm as a thick purple fog rolled in, snuffing out the ivory stone halls of the castle. The bearded guard looked to his partner in question and I heard him say through my ringing ears, "What's going on!" He pulled harder on the cuff of my shirt, "Is this one of your tricks you witch?" But I could hardly even hear what he said through the pain still pulsing in my gut. I was too fear stricken to respond either way, for behind the guard I caught sight of two yellow orbs, eyes that pierced right out of the haze.

"S-Sir…!" The soldier holding my arms pointed a trembling finger towards the ominous light. The bearded guard spun around just in time to see a Chandelure meld through the haze. Its glass body, five times larger than a regular Chandelure's, was heavily cracked and smeared with crimson webbing which looked horribly like blood. A nearly headless body hung from a noose tied to one of its twisted steel arms. The guards turned pale as the ghoulish Chandelure leered over us menacingly, burning with black flame.

"**BE GONE!"** It screeched. But the guards were frozen in place: paralyzed by fear. I was much the same.

"**BE GOOOONE!"** It shrieked again with ear splitting force. The guards didn't need to be told again. They dropped me, pushing me towards the ghost and ran like hell down the hall: wailing like babies.

I looked up towards the Chandelure, feeling helpless under its paralyzing glare. I flinched away from the creature, waiting for it to strike me down. But instead of pain, I heard someone calling out to me.

"Touko!" I looked up. Strange. I could have sworn that dead body, hanging from the Chandelure's arms, had just spoken to me. And taking a closer look I could see it waving at me.

_I must be going mad… _I thought, putting my fingers to my forehead. But just then, the bloodied body jumped down from its noose, melded out of the haze and landed right before of me. I gasped at the man standing before me. It was N!

"Wha-wha-wha…" I blubbered stupidly. I turned to the Chandelure quickly and it too, with a puff of smoke, morphed back into Laika the Zorua. I sat there frozen for a moment. _IT WAS AN ILLUSION! _

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" I exploded, and N raised his hands in sheepishly in an attempt to calm me down. "YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH YOU…YOU!"

"I'm sorry," he said honestly, sweating slightly. "It was… mostly Laika's idea…"

I turned to the Zorua to see it leering at me mischievously. She loved my reaction. I was about to blow my lid a second time but I forced myself to calmed down. Now wasn't the time to get worked up.

"Don't try to stop me N…I'm getting out of this castle," I said to him, being as straight forward as I could.

"Alright," he said understandingly. I stared at him blankly. Had I misheard? I wasn't expecting that reaction from him, especially with the scene he'd made earlier this morning. I looked into his eyes with confusion and he stared directly at me with a stern but somehow calm expression.

"Then how exactly do you plan to get out of this place?" he asked. I was about to answer but stopped when I realized I didn't know what to say. He continued anyway, "Many more soldiers, besides the ones that nearly captured you just now, patrol this castle left and right. How do you plan to evade them all?" I stood there motionless under N's unbreaking gaze. "And let's say you could, somehow, get passed them. Where is the exit? Do you even know how to get out of this castle?"

My silence was a good enough answer.

"I thought so," he said closing his eyes, finally breaking that hard stare before resuming it a moment later. "Do you really think you can win Touko?" he asked, staring into me again with a look so heavy I'm surprised I didn't collapse under the pressure. But I already had an answer to his question. He was right, he was right more than anything. I didn't know the way out. I didn't know how I would get passed the guards without Pokémon of my own. I didn't know if I could really free the world but…

"I'm not going to let the world burn because of me," I answered, looking straight into N's eyes, "I'm sick of just rotting here and doing nothing! I'm going to change something, and I'm not going to give up! No matter what happens, whether you help me… or not," I frowned deeply, not daring to break my gaze.

N stared at me with a look that made it seem like he wasn't convinced. For a few moments of dread, I'd thought that he was going to take hold of me and escort me forcefully back to his chambers. But that didn't happen. N broke his steely expression with a huge smile.

"Good answer!" he said happily, "I knew you had an unbreakable spirit Touko!" he turned around and began to walk, "Follow me."

"Wha… wait! Where!"

He paused, glancing over his shoulder, viewing me with a grin spreading over his blackened cheek, "I'm going to bring you to your Pokémon."

.

.

Chapter 5

**Breaking Out** [Part Two] (…_The puppet king betrays the seven gods_)

.

"I'll take you to your team"

I kept running that line over and over in my head, but the more times it played the less real it seemed. I wasn't imagining it was I? Did N really say those words? Even as I followed behind Team Plasma's king, as quickly as my battered legs would allow, I could not be sure of our destination. Was N really taking me to my Pokémon or was he leading me to my death? N seemed so resolute about keeping me away from my Pokémon before, so why the change of heart now? Was it because I had finally acted on my own and escaped? I couldn't make sense of it.

_It's obviously a trap… _The subconscious voice of negativity bubbled to the surface of my thoughts again. It drove me insane. I thought I'd silenced it once and for all the second I stepped foot out the windows of N's chambers. But it was back seemingly stronger than ever now.

_You're being disposed of… how thick do you have to be not to see that? You're too dangerous for your own good. Now the king of team Plasma will deliver personally your requiem._

I had to refrain from bludgeoning myself over the head to silence those thoughts. I didn't want to give in and believe those words, because I knew N wasn't the type of person for deception or hate and I knew he didn't want to hurt me. My confidence in N far outweighed any thoughts of negativity which fought against him. I would have to put my trust into the young king and see where he took me.

We didn't run into a soul during our walk which came as a surprise. I kept half-expecting another duo of Plasma soldiers to show up and cause trouble, but they never did. I guessed it was because N was keeping away from the more populated areas of the castle. He knew this place far better than I did. He knew how to maneuver these halls unnoticed. Eventually, after a fair amount of walking, we reached a hallway built with white tile terminating at a featureless black door.

We came to a stop in front of the door and N placed his hand over the empty surface, and it slid open with an electronic whine.

"They are in here," he gestured for me to enter, "After you."

I gave him a quiet stare. Hesitating as the negative voice within my head took its final chance to shout its last warnings at me. I sucked in a breath and proceeded into the dark room.

The lights flickered on upon my entry, illuminating a large empty room built out of some black material. But the more I stared at it I couldn't figure out what it was. It wasn't stone nor tile, but it held resemblance to some sort of electronic grid. Jagged lines ran across the floor, flashing from time to time as if catching sunlight in a windowless room. I walked in, staring all around quickly, trying to find signs of danger or signs that my Pokémon were present. At the far end of the room I spotted a large white box which resembled a safe in nature resting atop a black table-like platform. N drifted past me as silent as a ghost, heading to the safe box. Once reaching his destination he turned to me and smiled.

"Come on," he coaxed. I hurried over to him quickly, padding silently across the grid-like floor.

N reached over and began punching numbers into the key pad set in the center of the box. After the digits had been inputted into the safe's locking mechanism, and the code was approved, the lid popped open. N grabbed the door, pulling it to reveal a group of six Pokéballs resting on a pillow inside. My breath was caught in my throat.

N smiled at my reaction, which was anything short of astounded, "Go ahead. Take one…"

I glanced at him in numb shock with thoughts too muddled to process anything. I hardly even heard what he'd just said. Laika barked impatiently beside me nipping my leg softly.

"Ouch! Alright, alright!" I reached into the safe and grabbed hold of the first Pokéball that caught my eye. I held onto the ball capsule in my trembling fist, feeling a dull heat emanating from within. My heart was going wild. I turned to the empty room and called out my first Pokémon.

In a flash of red light a figure landed onto the ground with a thud. As its image began to materialize my heart was overcome by a rush of emotion. An Emboar sat huddled on the floor, curled up protectively as if expecting to be struck. Once it realized it had been released it brought up its guard, snarling angrily, spewing smoke from its nose, probably expecting to be greeted by Plasma soldiers. But instead it saw me.

"…Hyle…" I choked out the name of my first Pokémon, my starter, the one who had been with me since the very beginning. The rush of nostalgia I was feeling was almost unbearable. I ran towards my Emboar, tears already flying from my eyes and threw my arms around his bulk, sobbing like a maniac. Hyle overcame his shock quickly and returned the hug, nearly crushing my tiny frame with his burly arms.

"I can't believe you're okay!" I babbled through a wave of tears, "I thought you'd…" I couldn't finish that thought. I didn't want to think about any member of my team being dead. Hyle snorted an affectionate response, spewing more acrid smoke into the air which soon had me gagging. I couldn't blame my Emboar though. I'd be spewing smoke out of my nostrils in joy too if I were him.

"Let's go bring out the others okay!" I shouted with excitement, rushing back to the safe where N and Laika were waiting patiently and scooping up the rest of the Pokéballs in my arms. I threw out another Pokéball from the pile in my arms and my Galvantula named Terra materialized before me. Her reaction was much the same as Hyle's. She flung herself unto me, embracing me with all four of her spiny legs. I hauled her up in my arms, laughing as my hair sprung up from static.

Hana, my female Carracosta, was the next to be called out. I was shocked to find many deep cracks and gashes coating her obsidian shell. I reached out a trembling hand, touching the gouges lightly with the tips of my fingers, feeling the broken shell against my skin.

"I'm sorry," I croaked, trying to halt another wave of tears from gushing out of my already puffy red eyes. Hana smiled back humbly, understandingly. Even though we couldn't communicate through words I knew she didn't blame me for this. Her eyes said it all.

With another bright flash, the remainder of my Pokémon team forced their way out of their balls and appeared around me, nearly scaring me right out of my skin. They must have sensed I was near and they were too excited to wait until I called them out individually.

Ophelia my Lilligant, Rhoden my Braviary and Luca my Bisharp crowded around me. My heart jumped straight to my throat when I laid eyes on my Bisharp. Luca, much the same as Hana, was covered head to toe in deep gashes and scars. He had been marred from the Focus Blast that Hydreigon shot. His armor was brutally cracked and the many sharp blades which coated his body had shattered off. Even the axe-like blade on his helm had broken. And looking to the rest of my Pokémon I could see all of them carried some scar or old wound from the battle with Ghetsis. Ophelia's torn leaves. Rhoden's tousled feathers just barely concealed soft pink scar lines. Terra's limping gait, Hyle's bruises…

I broke down.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed, falling to my knees. "I… I never wanted…" I couldn't continue through the tears that just kept gushing out. I'd been bottling up the sadness for so long, never giving it an outlet, and now it all came rushing out as if a dam had collapsed. My Pokémon drew near, hoping to offer some comfort.

"They don't blame you," I looked up to see N approach, his image blurred by my tears. He smiled down at me, "They want you to know that none of this is your fault, Touko…" I stared at him, blinking away the moisture in my eyes. "You no longer have to blame yourself either… if you're willing to stand up and fight."

He was right. I didn't have to sit around and feel sorry for myself any longer. A rush of determination flared through my body. My Pokémon weren't dead and neither was I. My heart was still beating and I knew that we could change this world together. We were alive.

"Alright guys!" I roared, jumping to my feet. "I know we've been out of commission for a long time. And during that time Ghetsis has used our weakness to consume Unova with his power," My heart fluttered, seeing the determination sparking in my Pokémon's eyes. "But it's not going to stay that way for long!" I shouted, "We're going to knock Ghetsis off this throne and put everything back to the way it's supposed to be!"  
>"Hyle!" Plumes of dark smoke erupted out of my Emboar's nostrils. "Ophelia," My Lilligant smiled humbly. "Terra," The air crackled with electric current around my Galvantula's body. "Hana," My Carracosta stomped the ground hard. "Rhoden," Braviary beat his massive wings heavily, flaring the plumage on his chest. "Luca," My battle-scarred Bisharp sliced at the air.<p>

"We're breaking out of here tonight!"

Those final words felt like a battle cry and I was spurred into action. I returned my team back into their Pokéballs, eager to finally get out of this castle and escape. If the king would let me that is. I turned to N, blinking away the tears in my eyes. "Will you help me?"

"I will." His answer was instant.

"Why?"

He simply stared.

"I mean…" I felt a sudden flush come to my cheeks, "You never wanted to help me escape before. Why now? What's changed?" I hated asking him that kind of question because it felt like I was cutting down to the bone. But I needed an answer from him. I needed to make sure he was on my side.

It was N's turn to avoid my gaze, "I just… don't want you to be sad anymore Touko."

My heart felt heavy, and I couldn't seem to find words to form an answer. I just kept staring at the bruise on his face. N was never easy to read, and even though I'd known him for a long while and got considerably close to him, I still couldn't see past the wall he'd crafted. I couldn't read him, or see what his true intentions were. But I knew he was acting out of kindness. He wanted to help me save this world, and all the people and Pokémon within it.

Even though I knew there was more than what was told to his answer, he wouldn't let me waste anymore time here.

"We should leave," N said, breaking his gaze with the floor. I nodded, although a bit reluctantly, and both of us headed to the door. But before we could leave the room the door slid open for us. I gasped, expecting to be swamped by a rush of Plasma soldiers. N, on the same train of thought as I, stepped forward defensively but stopped abruptly when he saw the figures standing there were not Plasma soldiers.

"Peace…Love…" He gasped. It was Anthea and Concordia who stood silently in the doorway. I was surprised to see them and honestly they were the last people I was expecting to see. Instead of attacking or halting our passage, they bowed respectively at the presence of their king.

"We are not here to stop you," Anthea said in her usually soft voice.

"We thought that you might be needing this, miss Touko," Concordia held out a folded pair of clothes and the old bag from my travels. They both smiled at me, "We can't have you running around in those clothes." I looked down at the thin T-shirt and shorts that I was still wearing. They were right. These clothes were the furthest thing from battle-wear.

"R-right!" My cheeks were flaring again as I took the clothes and bag from Concordia, "Thank you so much."

N and company waited outside the room as I got to changing. I yanked on a pair of dark blue jeans and tied up my pink-laced black boots. I pulled a white shirt over my head and shrugged on a black, long-sleeved jacket. Tying my hair into a tight pony-tail and putting on my old white cap were the finishing touches. It was time to go. I took a quick glance inside my old pink bag to find it stocked with Pokéballs, clothes, food, other useful supplies and the like. It made me wonder how long Anthea and Concordia had been planning to see me off with this.

I waited not a second longer and exited the room to find them waiting. I wanted to thank Anthea and Concordia for all that they had done for me but my emotions got the better of me and I threw my arms around them, sobbing out my gratitude.

N held his hand out to me, "Let's go. Touko." I looked down towards his feet to find Laika smiling eagerly, ready to take off. I returned the look twofold, grabbed onto N's hand and the three of us sped down the halls together, exit bound.

As we raced through the castle, running beside lapping streams and belting down staggering stairwells, I realized that without N I would have been completely lost. Team Plasma's castle was immense and there were so many unmarked hallways and paths that lead everywhere or nowhere at all. Without him as my guide I'd be better off dead.

We encountered some resistance on our way out, which didn't surprise me. I felt more shocked by the lack thereof of Plasma soldiers. It was almost refreshing running into some opposition. I know that sounds crazy enough, but now that I had my Pokémon with me again I wanted nothing more than to beat down some Plasma grunts. The thought delighted me and when I saw a duo of Plasma guards rushing at us from the end of a long hallway. I didn't even hesitate.

"Watchog go!" One of them shouted under his black visor, calling out his ferret like Pokémon.

"Krookodile, end them here!" Another one called out a beastly looking, burgundy crocodile which barred its gleaming fangs.

"I've got this!" I shouted to N, taking the lead, not breaking our dash.

"Hyle! Ophelia, let's go!" It felt great to say that again. Emboar and Lilligant launched out, ready to fight. "Hyle, use Brick Break on that Watchog. Ophelia use Giga Drain on Krookodile!" I shouted.

The hallway was just long enough that I didn't have to stop running while my Pokémon attacked, which was great since I didn't want to break our momentum. Both of their Pokémon were taken down in one hit. Hyle smashed his fists into the ferret's gut, causing it to spew a wave of blood onto the shimmering floors. Ophelia drained all of Krookodile's energy from a bundle of vines which shot from under the folds of her leaf-like body. Her methods weren't as bloody as Hyle's but they were just as ruthless. The Krookodile fell into a heap over the ground; completely drained of all its strength. I called my Pokémon back into the confinement of their balls as N and I sped past the defeated grunts. We left them in silence.

After running what felt like a marathon through this ridiculously large castle, N and I finally reached the exit. We burst through a grand door, after leaping down another staircase, and entered a massive hall built out of light blue rock. Another staircase descended below us which connected with the ground floor. And beyond that was a massive door built with the same light blue as the rest of the area, embellished with golden swirls and runes. This was unmistakably the exit.

"That's it!" N said taking my hand and leading me down the staircase with haste, watching to make sure I didn't trip and fall on my face, which I'm surprised didn't happen considering how fast we were going. We touched down at the bottom of the stairwell, belting forward on aching legs. My legs were searing with absolute pain and I could imagine that N was feeling much the same. It was hard to not just flop down and give up but I'd abandoned that state of mind now. Giving up as not an option. N and I reached the door and when he began pulling it open I expected an army of Plasma guards to fly down from the ceiling and crush us. Though, oddly enough none of them ever did.

Once the door had been jarred, we launched ourselves through the opening and out into the world beyond. An icy breeze blew across the landscape, not even stirring dust. The temperature change came as a shock to me; the wind even found a way to pierce through my sweater.

The world outside of this castle looked just the same as it always had from my perch above the clouds, dead and barren. Even the trees avoided growing in this ground, apart from a single tree I saw waving in the distance, blackened by death, scratching the distant sun with its claw-like branches.

"Over there!" N pointed to a massive metal wall looming over the horizon, "The grounds of the castle end there!"

"Let's go!" I shouted, trying as best I could to ignore the protest of my legs.

The black wall crowning in the horizon inched closer and closer at a snail's pace as we sped along. I huffed, my lungs now burning with each breath. I couldn't keep up this running and I didn't want to chance calling out my Braviary. We were still too close to the castle for flight. I dreaded the soldiers launching attacks from their battlements. Running seemed like the best option, no matter how excruciating. I suddenly noticed with a nauseating jolt that N wasn't running beside me anymore. I whipped around to see him standing behind a few feet away.

"N…!" I gasped, desperately trying to catch my breath, "Come on!"

He smiled at me sadly and shook his head. "You go on ahead, Touko. Laika and I will hold them off here," Laika came up beside him and growled ferociously. Although I couldn't take it too seriously while looking at her size.

"No!" I shouted, winded, "I'm not leaving without you!" I ran over to him, grabbing hold of his arm and staring straight into him, "I'm not going to leave you to die here!" He stared at me with barely legible remorse.

"I won't abandon you," I choked out. A spark of shock flickered across N's face and it was anything but hidden. I must have plucked a heart string, though I didn't have the time to mull over those thoughts as a voice cut through the howling wind: stopping my heart.

"Well, well, well,"

N and I both froze. Our heads spun around towards the looming obelisk of Team Plasma's castle to see none other than Ghetsis treading over the desolate landscape, the wind lashing at his hair, a snicker brandished across his face.

"It seems the mouse has escaped."

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

Hope you all enjoyed this one. Also, to avoid the confusion of dumping all of Touko's Pokemon on you at once, I have devised this little list to help you tell who is who.

**Legend: **Species Name (gender) nickname [Type] *nature {ability}

Emboar (male) Hyle [Fire/fight] *Hasty nature {Blaze}  
>Lilligant (female) Ophelia [grass] *Quiet nature {Own Tempo}<br>Carracosta (female) Hana [water/rock] *Modest nature {Sturdy}  
>Braviary (male)Rhoden [normalflying] *Brave nature {Keen Eye}  
>Bisharp (male) Luca [darksteel] *Serious nature {Inner Focus}  
>Galvantula (female) Terra [electricbug] *Naive nature {Compoundeyes}

and if you haven't guessed already, Laika is naughty nature.

Ps. Chandelure Face! **O++O**


	6. THUNDER!

**Author's Note**: This chapter might get a little bloody chaps, just a fair warning. Don't want any of you passing out over there.

* * *

><p>Ghetsis tread over the wasteland, shadowed by Team Plasma's dark castle; his figure defined by the gleaming squares of light set on the looming spires. The wind tore at his elegant robe and combed through his slick hair, jarring a few strands astray. His searing eyes were set on us in a steely half-gaze with such crushing intensity I felt as if I was paralyzed from head to toe, and the feeling grew with each step he took. Perhaps I was imagining it, or maybe the environment was paying a good tribute, but Ghetsis looked exactly like the man who handed defeat unto me all those years ago. There was something in his eyes, something about the way he moved that filled me to the brim with both nostalgia and terror. I had to wonder, did I resemble the girl he defeated in the past, or did I look like someone who had awoken from their despair; someone who had thrown away a treacherous past?<p>

Ghetsis finally stopped his approach, keeping a few yards distance between us. The wind suddenly cut out, smothering its howling moan, drenching the world in a veil of silence. It left only the sounds of my quaking heart and trembling breath audible in the gaze of that monstrous man.

"Well, well, well," Ghetsis's voice cut through the air as clear as a bell over the silent heath. "It seems the little mouse has escaped." His gaze focused on N, warping into a glare.

"I should have known you'd be responsible for this…" Ghetsis sighed at length, "You were always… _defective_" The tone of his voice and the emphasis on that last word made me cringe. I could hardly believe it; it was like he was referring to N as some sort of vermin. My eyes flicked towards the Plasma King who still stood unmoving beside me. I wanted to gauge N's reaction to those words, though I was hesitant to do so. I almost didn't want to see, but curiosity plagued me. I turned. At first, he seemed just as void and unaffected as ever, but as I continued to stare into that face, I noticed a spark of pain flick across N's eyes which radiated the real truth. Those words were cutting deep.

"Hand her over and I may just overlook this little blunder of yours," Ghetsis withdrew his hand from under his cloak and held it out as if waiting to be offered something.

"I won't do that," N responded, sounding more resolute than he looked. Ghetsis's expression immediately soured and his hand slowly clenched into a trembling fist.

"You have the nerve to defy me?" Ghetsis growled, "You're just a puppet, a disgustingly useless boy! You fool…"

"Shut up!" I roared, unable to listen to a word more. Ghetsis was silenced, at least for a moment, by the harshness of my voice. Although the fiery glare that seemed etched onto the lines in his face didn't falter for even a second.

N stared at me in bewilderment, "…Touko?"

"It's alright," I said, trying to stare down Ghetsis as best I could without having any painful memories return. I didn't want to look N in the eye again to only see more pain. "No one deserves to be spoken to like that N… I'm not going to let it end here…" I drew a Pokéball from my belt.

"Hah!" Ghetsis scoffed, "You're going to fight me! That's a laugh!" Ghetsis echoed my actions, drawing a capsule from under his cloak. "Must I remind you about what happened last time we did battle!" He sneered.

"Oh, I remember alright," I lifted the brim of my hat, revealing determined eyes. "And that's why I won't lose to you!

"Such insolence," Ghetsis huffed, "It seems I must re-teach you a lesson in failure." He called out his Seismitoad as our first opponent. The blue bullfrog-like Pokémon landed to the ground in a crash. A deep croaking rumbled out of its throat as it leered down at me with crimson eyes. I matched its hate-filled gaze while calling out my Lilligant, Ophelia. I knew I would have the advantage here since my Pokémon was a grass type and Seismitoad, being both a water and a ground type, had a huge disadvantage.

N, with Laika in tow, distanced himself from the battlefield. His fretful eyes never left my figure. For some reason he seemed deeply concerned about something, but at the time I paid it no mind. I was more surprised with N's leniency for this battle. He was actually letting me fight Ghetsis without a word of protest, though all the protest imaginable was reflected on his face. Perhaps he thought that I needed redemption, that I needed to reclaim my sense of honor. Or maybe he figured I was too stubborn to back down either way. Never the less, I was grateful for this opportunity. I wasn't planning on losing to this man a second time.

I started the battle off. "Ophelia, use Petal Dance!" A tornado of petals erupted from my Pokémon's body, spinning around her and expanding in radius throughout the battle field. The petals, a soft rose in colour, fluttered by my cheeks gently while they whipped passed Ghetsis with enough force to draw blood and tear cloth. Ophelia hadn't forgotten. Her scars were still fresh and she wanted vengeance. She rushed at his Seismitoad quickly, the flurry of petals condensing around her body as she approached.

"Dodge it!" Ghetsis barked but he reacted too late. Ophelia smashed right into his Seismitoad with terrible force, throwing it backward.

"Right on Ophelia!" I shouted in glee. But the light-heartedness of the moment quickly faded when Seismitoad began to pull itself up. I nearly choked on my own breath. How hadn't it fainted! That Petal Dance had hit dead-on and it was still standing! A quiver of fear rushed through my bones.

Ghetsis sneered at me, "Seismitoad, use Hyper Beam!" The lips of the bullfrog began to emanate with light. If this attack hit then it spelt bad news for Ophelia and I.

My heart leapt, "Ophelia! Get out of there!" My words hit the air not a second too soon. Ophelia took a dive and the Hyper Beam rushed passed her, cutting across the ground—narrowly missing me—and shattering the earth below. I brought up my arms to shield my eyes from the dust and debris spewing from the point of impact. "Ophelia!" I choked out against the wind, "Are you okay!"

Through the clearing smoke I caught a glimpse of my Lilligant staggering to her feet. The Hyper Beam had nicked her, producing a large searing tear in her leaf-like skin. "Are you alright!" I asked hastily. The smoke would clear any minute and we only had a small opportunity to land another Petal Dance while Seismitoad was recharging.

Ophelia nodded and I called out the next attack, "Petal Dance, one more time!" The burst of petals that erupted from her body shot out at such high velocity that it tore through the dust which the Hyper Beam had created. She sped towards the Seismitoad and tackled into its bulbous figure, smashing it to the ground with a quake. The Petal Dance had made quick work of that amphibious monster, leaving streaks of red across its blue form.

I couldn't suppress an ear-to-ear grin. "Awesome Ophelia! We did it!"

Ghetsis cast a bitter glance towards his fallen Pokémon, returning it to its ball and drawing out the next fighter, "Don't get over confident."

"Eelektross, put an end to this foolish girl!" A black, eel-like Pokémon was called out, gnashing its teeth menacingly, charging the air full of electric current as its body writhed in the air. I clenched my teeth, remembering very well that Ghetsis's Eelektross knew Flamethrower. One hit from that attack and Ophelia would be out. But I didn't call Ophelia back to her ball. Out of the corner of my eye I saw N give me a confused look, but I had hatched a plan to take care of this serpent. It was a risky one but what's a good battle without its risks?

"Ophelia! Use Teeter Dance!" In response Ophelia spread out the leaves on her body and began to sway in a hypnotizing rhythm. Eelektross glared down at Ophelia's dance, and for a brief moment of terror I thought we had failed. But when the eel's head began to loll and it began to stumble to and fro in confusion I knew we'd hit the mark.

_Perfect!_

"Ophelia! Finish this with Solarbeam!" With her petals already drawn back, Ophelia took in the light from the distant sun, building it up on the large flower resting atop her head which would be the outlet.

"NO!" Ghetsis roared, "Attack her you useless beast!" but it was too distraught to hear a word he said and instead it hurt itself in confusion. Even if it had snapped out of its stupor it was already too late for Ghetsis. The Solarbeam blasted out from the flower on Ophelia's head with such intensity that the ground shattered underneath and burnt black with scorching heat. The attack hit, scorching deep into the Eelektross's skin, knocking it straight into unconsciousness.

Ghetsis glared at me with an unfathomable amount of hate in his eyes as his second Pokémon was knocked out. He scrunched his eyebrows together and seethed through clenched teeth like he was about to explode in rage. But instead of a huge outburst of rancid cursing and furious profanities, he sucked in a deep breath and sighed. His eyebrows unknotted, his jaw lax; he seemed to simmer down almost instantly.

"Impressive." He said simply, "I never would have expected you to have improved so much during your imprisonment."

I was too confused by his sudden mood switch to respond.

"What could it have been, I wonder." He continued to ponder while staring me down, "You certainly weren't training in all this time. Unquenchable spirit perhaps? A desire to overthrow my kingdom? … I should have put you down while I had the chance," Those last words were hushed, almost like he was talking to himself. I was still shocked. I didn't even know how to respond to what he was saying, but Ghetsis wasn't waiting for an answer.

"But none of that will come to matter. I plan to end this foolish game here and now," he drew another Pokéball from his robe. The wind stopped suddenly as if choked, and a hush settled over the earth. "Go, Hydreigon!"

In response to the beast's awakening the overcast sky became dark, and the frigid wind picked back up in a violent gale. Hydreigon rose up above Ghetsis. Three bulbous heads blossomed from its jet-black body; the trinity of them gnashing at the air angrily—eager for battle or the taste of our flesh. My heart fell right to my stomach.

"Use Fire Blast." Ghetsis commanded.

My heart nearly stopped, "Ophelia—!" But my Lilligant was left immobilized by the intense Solarbeam she had released; she was left wide open as she struggled to recuperate.

Ophelia was taken down in one brutal shot. The Fire Blast set aflame her leaf-like skin, spewing a sweet aroma from her burning body. I cried out her name but it was already too late. Ophelia had fainted. Unable to stare at her blackened body any longer, I returned Ophelia to her ball. I needed to call out another fighter. I couldn't afford to leave myself open. I was worried for my Lilligant's safety but I had to make an effort to settle myself down, telling myself over and over I would treat my Pokémon's injuries when the battle was finished.

_It will be okay… It will be okay_, I repeated like a mantra in my head. I couldn't afford to lose my sanity now, no matter how difficult it was to hold intact. But as I caught sight of Ghetsis smirking across the battle marred earth, my morale began to break. He was mocking me. I could tell just by that snide look that he relished in my pain and distress. It was a deterrent, but I would not lose grasp of hope now. I still had five Pokémon to lay offence with! Sure, Hydreigon was tough but there's no way he could survive an onslaught of all my remaining Pokémon.

_We_ _can do this, we can do this. _The desire to keep going, to protect the people I care about or to avoid the pain of another failure, either one of those was the perfect fuel for my resistance. I would not lose here.

"Let's go, Hyle!" I sent out my Emboar. My lack of any ice type Pokémon meant the only immediate chance I had against Hydreigon was to use a fighting type. My fighting strength outnumbered Ghetsis's but I really didn't want to drag this battle out. I was starting to feel ill and a bit uneasy. So what better to do then launch a fully charged Focus Blast right in the face of that serpent? I just hoped it would be enough to take it down.

"Hyle! Hit it with a Focus Blast!" In response Hyle picked up particles from the surrounding air and condensed them into a ball of energy. He snorted out black smoke from his nostrils and hurled the attack straight towards Hydreigon.

"Use Dragon Pulse!" At first I thought Ghetsis had gone mad. He hoped to push away Focus Blast with an attack! It seemed completely outlandish to me until I saw that this was no regular Dragon Pulse; this attack had the combined powers of all three of Hydreigon's heads. This was bad. I didn't know what to do at first. Actually I had almost blubbered out a bunch of random attacks for Hyle to follow, just out of the impulse of panic. But I realized that I would just have to hope that Dragon Pulse wouldn't overpower our Focus Blast. Sadly though, it didn't.

The attacks met in a massive blast in mid air; Hyle's Focus Blast immediately broke away, torn down like wet paper, which left the Dragon Pulse to proceed unhindered.

"Hyle!" I cried out my Pokémon's name, panic stricken. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what I should tell it to do. Hope was slipping from my grasp.

My Emboar put its hands out forward and actually blocked the assault. I reeled back, shielding my eyes from the intense power and light of the attack which my Pokémon was just barely staving off. The raw determination Hyle had to hold off the enemy to this extent shocked me to my core. My Pokémon's determination was infectious and sparked a desire for victory deep within me.

Hyle was willing to see this through to the end. I didn't doubt that my Emboar also carried scars from our last battle, but he still wanted to fight. I wasn't going to give up either.

_We can do this._

I was about to call out another attack for Hyle to carry out, but before I even had a chance to form the words that would be the catalyst of our victory, Hydreigon turned its attack towards me. It was so sudden, so subtle, that I didn't even know I was being targeted until it was too late. I couldn't respond. I only had enough time to think that… I was going to die. But the feeling of someone throwing me aside changed the path of fate. N had foreseen Hydreigon's intent, and he had rushed out just in time to push me out of the way. He was hit instead.

For a brief moment I saw the desperation in N's ashen eyes; the sadness; the fear. I saw more emotions flash across those eyes than I ever had before. I crashed onto the ground and watched in horror as those beautiful eyes were torn down before me. N was hit with the pulse of energy, his hat flying off in the updraft; the attack tore deep across his body erupting forth a spray of crimson. He flew back, like some sort of rag doll—limp and lifeless like a corpse—and smashed into the earth in a dead stop. A red slash of blood connected to his broken body where he had plowed into the dirt, more followed from the wound forming a pool of red beneath.

Ghetsis wore an expression of dumb shock before breaking into a fit of laughter. He was actually laughing, I could hardly believe it. But I couldn't react to that; I couldn't even move. Even my eyelids refused to shut. I just stared at N's body, almost expecting him to get back up and tell me he was okay. But taking another look at the blackened ground, stained heavily with his blood, I realized that wasn't going to happen.

"N!" I shrieked against the wind: a voice filled with blind horror. I ran to him, stumbling clumsily on the ragged earth until I reached him. Still, he wouldn't move. I skid down to my knees, ripping the fabric of my jeans, and picked him up in my arms. His eyes were left ajar, diluted and unfocused like the eyes of the dead. Streams of blood trailed from his lips and down his neck. But the worst was at his chest, where the attack had hit. The Dragon Pulse had burnt the skin so intensely that the flesh had broken open. It was a searing gash running along his body, ripping his shirt down to bloody tatters. I choked on a wave of vomit, just barely managing to suppress the bile.

"…N" I choked out his name but he didn't respond. A crushing wave of realization fell down on me. He was dead.

_No…_

"N! You have to wake up! Say something! Plea…" Something crashed to the left of me. Tearing my eyes away from N's carcass for a quick moment, I saw Hyle lying in a motionless heap on the ground. Up till this point he had been holding off Ghetsis's Hydreigon, but my Pokémon had reached his limit. Hyle had been knocked out. A red, whip-like beam of light shot out of my Pokéball, automatically returning my Emboar inside. Ghetsis's laugh filled the air as his Hydreigon loomed over us, snarling its glistening teeth. I reached for my belt, trying to grab hold of a Pokéball but they slipped out of my ensanguined hands.

"It's over, little girl" Ghetsis sneered, and I could see that he was right. Casting one last glance to N's body the realization came to me. This was the end. It was all over here. The person who I wanted to protect more than anything else in the world was now a torpid husk in my arms. It was over…

_I'm sorry_, I tried to tell him but my lips were sealed; my throat—frozen.

"Dragon Pulse, now Hydreigon!" A sudden flash of black appeared in front of me. It was Laika. She was standing in the way of the oncoming attack which had just burst from Hydreigon's maw. If she didn't move then she would be hit instead!

"Laika!" I gasped, "You have to get out of here!" She flashed me a smirk in response. Suddenly her body began to glow in a brilliant white light. I flinched away from the intensity, looking back a moment later to see that Laika had transformed. The bipedal black fox that stood before me was anything but an illusion. Laika had grown to her next stage of evolution; she'd become a Zoroark. Laika brought up her newly gained arms and deflected Hydreigon's attack. I stared in utter shock as the attack rushed by, whipping my hair about my face as the pressure connected with a bang into the ground beyond.

"Touko…" I felt something grab onto my arm and looked down in shock to see N staring at me with smoldering eyes. "It's not the end yet," He sputtered through blood-stained lips.

A rush of emotion overcame me. A burning desire of hope blazed up from the depths of my heart.

_This is not the end._

I reached for my belt and clenched hard onto a Pokéball, determined to not let it slip through bloody fingers, "Luca! Let's Go!" I shouted, calling out my battle scarred Bisharp. Laika sneered deviously and with a puff of black smoke, morphed into an identically marred Bisharp. "Attack!" Both Luca and Laika shot towards Ghetsis's Hydreigon, darting across the ground in a confusing zigzag.

Ghetsis clenched his teeth in frustration, not being able to tell which Pokémon was real and which one was an illusion. He left it at guess work. "Hydreigon! Fire Blast!" He commanded, pointing to the Pokémon steadily approaching from the left. Hydreigon responded by erupting a blast of flame from his mouth towards one of the Bisharps. Just before it hit, Laika melded out of her illusion dodging gracefully out of the way, twirling around the inferno in a graceful pirouette. Ghetsis had aimed at the wrong Pokémon.

"Luca!" I shouted as loud as I was able, "Use Iron Head!"

My Pokémon leapt up into the sky, leaning its head back before smashing its broken helm down onto Hydreigon's main skull. Ghetsis's Pokémon roared in pain as it crumpled down towards the ground: flinching.

"Finnish this with Stone Edge!" Luca landed, smashing the ground on impact, launching up thousands of projectile stones which whipped towards Hydreigon and tore it into submission.

Laika was by my side in an instant, tearing N's bloody body out of my grasp. He seemed to have fallen into unconsciousness. "Laika!" I gasped in shock, "What are you…"

She interrupted me by placing a clawed hand on my shoulder. She stared at me hard before she set her eyes towards the massive black wall in the distance. I knew what she was hinting at. We needed to get out here. If we didn't make a retreat now it could mean N's death. With so much blood already having left his body, he wouldn't last much longer.

"Okay!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet. "Luca, return!" I called my Pokémon back to its ball, but not before I saw it sneer at Ghetsis, slashing its blade-like arm through the air smugly. It had got its revenge. After my Bisharp had been contained I hopped onto Laika's back, clinging to her scarlet mane. She took off instantly speeding towards the wall, crafting an illusion around us as we faded into the barren land.

Ghetsis watched the horizon with a hard stare. He didn't pursue or more accurately, couldn't pursue. Hydreigon had been his last Pokémon on hand and he had exhausted his strength during the fight. Whether he liked it or not, the white princess had escaped. What he dreaded the most had now been realized.

A flurry of Plasma soldiers crowded around their leader. "Lord Ghetsis, would you like us to lay chase to the escaped prisoner?" They asked him with a salute. Ghetsis cast a bitter glance towards his fallen Hydreigon which stared intently over the distant wall as if waiting for the return of his enemies.

"Bring them back here—alive." Ghetsis barked. The guards nodded about ready to take off when he spoke up again, "And one more thing. The N Harmonia accompanying the escaped prisoner is an imposter. You have orders to kill him." The guards hesitated, sharing a confused look. "An imposter sir?"

"That's right," Ghetsis growled.

The guards took off, following their orders.

.

.

Chapter 6

**THUNDER!** (_…and the puppet king dies_)

.

I hid my face deep into Laika's mane as we tore across the landscape. She was a much faster runner then I would have expected, but I figured that was due to her newly evolved state. Once we reached the great, steel wall that bordered Team Plasma's castle, she leaped over it in a frightening bound. Though the wall wasn't as high as it looked from a distance, and seemed to be unguarded, the Zoroark scaled the border with ease and dove into the forests beyond. I tried to control my breathing and steady my quaking heart as images of blood danced in my head. I tried to cling to sanity until Laika could find a place to hide and tend to N's wounds.

We tried to distance ourselves as far away from the castle as we could, but the worsening of N's condition forced us to stop. The three of us found refuge in a small cave spotted in a stout cliff face, surrounded on all sides by naked trees and burly evergreens.

Laika and I nestled ourselves in the throat of the cave, glancing at the entrance nervously, as we set N's gruesome figure down on the cave floor. I scrambled to his side, trying to ignore my beating pulse as I tried to assess his condition. His expression was that of eternal pain. His teeth were grit together hard, his shuddering body was already drenched in sweat along with a coating of blood. His breathing was heavy, uncontrolled, and his face was flushed.

"N…" I whispered out his name. It was so unbearable seeing him look this way; the rawness of his injuries already had my head spinning. He continued to writhe on the cold floor of the cave, unable to hear me or even respond if he was able.

Laika faced me with a hard stare. Somehow, by the look in her eyes, I understood that she was intrusting the wellbeing of her master—no, her friend—in my hands alone. The Zoroark then stood up and headed towards the mouth of the cave.

"A-are you going to g-get help…?" I asked her shakily. She gave a quick nod in response before taking off into the darkening forest. A thick wall of storm clouds was rolling over the skeletal trees; a furious wind tore the stray leaves from the forest's branches and moaned through the lip of the cave.

I knelt down beside N, scanning him nervously, unsure of what I should do. I was panicked. I had never treated injuries before besides simple things like a scrape or a stovetop burn. And what was this! I stared uneasily at the small pool of blood accumulating around N's jittering body, trickling down from his torn skin. He needed professional medical help here. What could I do? My breathing became uneven, uncontrolled; I was losing it. N was going to die and it would be because I was too stupid to do anything. Even if I had beaten Ghetsis, even if we had escaped, if N died because of me I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the guilt. This boy's death would bring the despair back.

I contorted into a ball, hugging myself tight as I sobbed. "Why did this have to happen…?" I blubbered, clenching my brunette locks. "Why did you do this you idiot…?" I asked, as if the dying boy could give me answers. But I didn't need him to respond because the answer came straight to me.

_This is not the end._

N did it to save me. He was the only one left in this distorted world who cared for a forsaken wretch like me. N had saved my life and I wasn't going to let his efforts go to waste. Just like when I stood on the edge of Team Plasma's castle, thousands of feet above the ground, a burning resolve sparked inside me.

N was still fighting. He was struggling to keep alive against any odds that decided to stack against him. And what was I doing? Sitting here in the dirt, feeling sorry for myself, waiting for things to be done for me? No. I wasn't just going to sit idle and watch this boy die.

_I'll save him._ I declared in my head. _I'll save him no matter what. _And no negative voice dared to defy me.

I tore off the tattered remnants of N's shirt and fashioned it into a sort of make-shift tourniquet, put in place to halt the bleeding or at least slow it down. I'm no doctor by any means but I knew I had to apply pressure to the wound so N wouldn't lose any more blood, although the streams of sticky crimson that soon coated my arms had me gagging; the metallic taste was even in my mouth somehow. The bandage was sloppy but it was better than nothing so I stuck with it. I could do all I could with my resources, but in the end it was up to N's will to survive. I just hoped he hadn't lost it.

After his bandages were applied I dove into my bag in search of some sort of medical equipment, or even some stray bandages that would serve better than a couple torn shirts. I came up with nothing but I expected as much. Although not medical supplies, there were a few spare clothes packed in with the clutter for both N and I respectively. Did Anthea and Concordia foresee the chance that we would escape the castle together? I gave them the quickest of mental thank-yous before turning right back to N, seizing his hand in my own.

"N!" I said his name with force, hoping to get his attention. His brow wrinkled for a moment before the eyes underneath fluttered open.

"N? Can you hear me?" His face unknotted and his fading eyes found mine.

"Tou…ko" He managed out a small smile, breaking the coating of blood that had crusted over on his lips.

I squeezed his hand tighter, trying to keep my voice steady, "Listen to me alright. You have to hang on, okay?"

His smile, unfaltering despite his pain, birthed a heartache in my chest. "It's…so cold…" His eyelids started to droop.

"Hey!" I shouted, clenching his clammy hand in my own. "You have to stay awake! Listen to me!"

I reached toward my bag with haste, pulling out an extra sweater and draping it over his body. I liked it better that way. It meant he didn't have to be as cold and I wouldn't have to see his grisly wounds. I started to talk to him. Mostly to keep my mind off any traumatic thoughts, but also so N could continually hear my voice. I hoped that having him focus on something would keep him conscious.

"It was a stupid thing you did back there you know," I smiled crookedly. His dull eyes were still on me, his hand still loosely entwined in my own. "Why did you sacrifice yourself like that…? Throwing yourself in front of Hydreigon's attack… taking the hit… I don't get it…" I was finding it hard to look him in the eye.

He coughed, "If I didn't…you would…have been hit," It sounded like he had to force the words from his throat. "I…couldn't…let that happen…to you…"

He took in a shuddering breath. It was clear that even those small words took a huge effort to say. A low rumble of thunder echoed above.

"Touko…my head feels…heavy…" His eyes started to close again.

"N!" I yelled, and when he didn't respond to my voice I resorted in smacking his cheek in order to get him to stay awake. His eyes fluttered open again, but this time strained.

"You have to hold on…" I pressed. The soft patter of rain began outside the mouth of the cave falling on grass and wooden limbs. Another roar of thunder resounded in the heavens. I turned around towards the entrance, hoping for Laika to return but there was no sign of her. I took in a deep breath.

I faced my dying companion to see his face wrought with agony. The pain from his injuries must have started back up again. I squeezed his hand tighter, cursing myself for being so powerless. If only I could do something to relieve his suffering. I noticed the roughness of the cave floor, the uneven edges and the clumps of raw dirt. Just looking at it made me think how uncomfortable it must be to lay there on cold, lifeless stone.

"I know you just wanted to save me N," I began, slowly lifting up his head and placing it on my lap. "But if I had lost you out there… I'm not sure I would have been able to… keep going."

I looked down at his face. His eyes were opened but they seemed unfocused. "Even now you could still…" I stopped, pushing the negative thoughts away, "That's why you have to stay awake… alright?" I tried to smile at him, hoping that he would see me but his eyes seemed so dull, like a mirror tarnished by time; his eyes seemed to grow darker.

"You mean… a lot more to me than anything ever has before…" Even if he wasn't able to hear me, I still continued. "You know," I whispered, grinning foolishly, "You're the only reason why… the sadness hasn't gobbled me up… yet." My eyes were growing heavy and my head began to droop. I was growing tired and all that running, not to mention the battle, at Team Plasma's castle had drained the life from me. I struggled to remain conscious, so I could be there for N if anything were to go wrong, but the pull of sleep was too great and I burned out.

I must have passed out for a length of time, that couldn't have been more than an hour. But I was jolted from my sleep by a deafening crash of thunder. A flash of lightning then followed, illuminating the lip of the cave and the figure standing there. I was on edge immediately, expecting Plasma soldiers or even Ghetsis to meld from the shadows. Instead it was Laika who came forward, utterly soaked in rainwater.

"Laika…" I gasped, "Did you find…?" Before I could finish that thought a small Pokémon waddled up beside her. It was an Audino. Laika gestured over to N who was still resting on my lap, his face tight in pain. He was still awake, thank Arceus. The Audino walked up and stared at him, as if measuring up the damage. The ringlets of fur under its ears twitched occasionally as it brought its head towards N's chest. It almost looked like a doctor using a stethoscope on a patient; I was in awe by it.

"Ah…!" I quickly reached for my jacket which still served as N's blanket. "The wound is under here…" After tearing off my softly stained jacket, I could see that the injuries had become worse. The gash was inflamed, bordering on rot and infection.

"You can heal him?" I asked the Audino breathlessly. I had fought this type of Pokémon in the past, if you could even call it a fight. Audino were healers. They would even go so far as to heal their own enemies before themselves. I had no idea where Laika had found this Audino, but it was just the miracle we needed.

Laika tore off the make-shift bandage I had made out of his clothes, whether or not it had helped in the long run was a mystery to me. The Audino closed its eyes, drawing in a deep breath before placing its hands on N's marred chest. The paws of the Pokémon began to glow a surreal shade of pink over the wound. N suppressed a scream though his clenched teeth while he lashed out in blind agony. Laika and I held his arms down while the Audino set to work. I held my breath as he cried, wordlessly in pain. I tried to block out the noise subconsciously but I had little success. The pink light grew brighter from behind closed eyes and I couldn't help but peek out to see what was happening.

I gaped in awe as the wound on N's chest began to close up under the Audino's paws, leaving the fresh vestiges of a large scar. N fell limp under us, heaving deep breaths through his lungs.

I was dumbfounded, almost on the verge of tears. The Audino sighed and looked up at us happily, a look which said '_everything is going to be okay_.'

Laika stared at N for a long time before leaning down and nuzzling him softly with her snout: relieved. The Zoroark then locked eyes with me and … she actually smiled. It was a smile much different from any playful sneer she had given me before; it was a genuine thank you that resonated deeply inside of me. But I was too shaken up to even form a response, my lips felt like they were sealed with glue. Laika seemed to understand that so she collapsed down beside me, keeping her back towards me so I could use her red mane as a pillow.

"Thank you, Laika," I said.

The Audino, having done its job, turned to go.

"Wait!" I cried out, halting it. "You don't have to leave…" It looked back towards me questioningly.

"Please stay…I really…wouldn't want to send you off into that storm…" It flashed a small smile before waddling back over and taking a seat between Laika and I. Once we were all settled, I finally let my body have its rest because I needed it more than ever now.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

Audino save lives. Just remember that the next time you level grind on Black and White, MONSTERS ALL OF YOU ;_; (myself included).

Also, this chapter's title is inspired by a song called **Thunder**, by _The Prodigy_.


	7. Scars and Marks

Chapter 7

**Scars and Marks**

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The first thing to greet me as I awoke in the cold throat of our refuge cave was a headache. A throbbing pain coursed through my skull with such intensity it felt like my head was being bludgeoned. I tried to move around but the jagged walls that encompassed me resisted even the slightest shudder. It was unfortunate, considering I was shaking like a leaf in the breeze out of the utter cold that filled the air. I struggled with great effort to peel open my crusty eyes as I tried to figure out where I was. The morning sun of autumn beat down outside the cave lips beyond; some rays strayed through the gash in the rock and lighted the gloomy confines of our hideout. But the sun was already too high up in the sky to shine its way to where I was hidden in the dark maw.

I shuffled against the uneven floor, trying to pull myself out of the stupor of sleep, but I was stopped by a faint groan coming from my legs. I looked down to find none other than N resting soundly in my lap. I stared at his sleeping figure in confusion, analyzing the wispy hair that curled around his shoulders and wound around my legs. I made note of every smudge of dirt that spotted his face, and with a sluggish brain still recovering from sleep, I couldn't figure out why he looked so haggard. When my eyes fell down to his scarred chest I remembered. Our dire escape from the castle, the heated battle with Ghetsis; N sacrificing himself to save me and almost dying a short time later; every single memory flooded through my mind. I could hardly believe it. We had escaped.

I couldn't seem take my eyes off of N while I underwent this recollection. The steady rise and fall of his chest signified that he was still in a deep sleep, and I did everything I could to remain silent and hope that I wouldn't disturb him. But as my eyes seemed locked with the horrid scar that still crawled through the grooves in his chest, my emotions threatened to spill. I could already feel the sting of salty tears as they gathered in my eyes. The boy who slept beneath me, the one who had risked everything to save me… he had nearly died… I was just about to lose grip on my composure, when a sudden movement jolted me right out of my skin. Some large, hairy creature was shuffling around on the cave floor right beside me!

I scrambled, torn between putting up and offense or making a move to cover N. Though I didn't have enough time to do either thankfully, until I realized Laika was the hairy monster that I had seen.

The Zoroark pulled herself off the ground and turned towards me, greeting me with a groggy set of aqua eyes. I could understand her reasons for looking so disgruntled, since the back of a cave isn't the most comfortable place to spend the night. Laika locked her eyes with mine, before they settled over her trainer, who still remained comatose despite my sudden movements. The Zoroark radiated an air of relief, and once she found that everything was okay she began stretching her body out.

"Laika…?" I had to clear my throat; my voice was rough as sandpaper, "Can you take N? I need to go outside…" Laika halted and scanned me once over as I tried to moisten my parched throat. She obliged.

The Zoroark lifted N's head off of my legs and settled him down on the flattest area of the floor she could find. I figured N must have really passed out, or was a really deep sleeper, since he hardly gave more than a muffle as he was moved about. But that worked out for the better since I wanted to give him as much time as he need to rest. Especially after what had happened yesterday… and all he had done for me. I owed him that much at least.

After my legs had been freed, I latched onto the cave wall and struggled to pull myself up. Laika threw me some confused glances as I floundered about on my numb limbs.

I frowned at the looks she was giving me, "My legs feel like slabs of concrete, okay?" I managed to shift my weight onto my feet as my joints screamed their protest.

Once I had achieved the simple goal of _standing, _I set towards the mouth of the cave with arms outstretched like a tightrope walker. Even with my ridiculous stance I was still having trouble proceeding forward. Thanks to the uneven ground, that I swear was put in place with the sole purpose of tripping me up, I fell on my face a few times before reaching the mouth of the grotto. At least Laika was having a good time relishing in my stilted walking. I could almost see the wolfish grin plastered on her face as she watched my constant stumbling.

I reached the mouth of the cave after a fair bit of hobbling and cautiously peeked out the entrance. Before I could make an attempt at analyzing every inch of the area in search of an enemy presence, something occurred to me.

"Laika?" I turned back to the depths of the cave where Laika hovered over her trainer, "Where did that Audino go?" I had just realized that the very Pokémon who had saved N's life was nowhere to be found.

Laika shrugged absently, without bothering to turn around from where she seated, indicating that she was just as clueless as I was. I let out a long sigh, figuring that the Audino must have taken off in the early hours of the morning, back to its friends and family or whatever else.

I skid down the cliff face, which wasn't a violent decline by any means, and hit the browning grass below which was blanketed in a blotchy quilt of fire-like leaves. I watched the leaflets crumple under my weight with a permanent frown on my lips. I was melancholy because I had really wanted that Audino to stay around. I wanted to thank the Pokémon for all it had done in one simple night, but now it seemed I would never have that chance.

I sucked back my thoughts as the morning light rained down. I craned my neck up towards the vastness of the sky to see it empty of any cloud or patrolling soldier. The only mark dotting the blue expanse was that of the sun itself, whose warmth seeped into my skin and soothed down my aches just a little bit. An icy breeze blew by, fondling the strands of my brown hair and rustling the leaves in bushes squatting under naked trees. As the playful breeze stirred through the foliage, my paranoia began to set in and I quickly brought up my guard. My mind went into the process of imagining hundreds of Plasma Soldiers lying in wait behind those shuddering bushes, though it didn't take me long to realize that my imagination was blowing things way out of proportion. The woods around me were empty, and my active imagination couldn't change that fact.

After calming my uppity nerves, I tried to loosen out my stiff muscles in the heat of the sun. I couldn't get far when I realized, upon stretching my out arms and seeing my hands, that I was covered in dried blood. Streams of crimson caked onto my palms, blotches of black stained my jeans; I was coated with the blood of the man who had saved me, and somehow I couldn't help but feel repulsed. I quickly made it a priority to locate a river or pond so I could make an attempt at scrubbing the fluid off. I could only hope that it wouldn't hold too tight to my clothes and skin. I didn't delight in the thought of wearing this blood, and as long as I was stained I could never truly feel free from Ghetsis's grip.

I regarded myself lucky when I found a small creek located at the far left of the area, almost out of sight. It wound its way out from behind the cliff and slunk down into the forest beyond. The sun was kissing my cheeks as I submerged my hands into the current. The water seemed much colder than the weather permitted, and I was a bit startled by the initial coldness that pierced into my skin. By force of will I kept my hands beneath the water and attempted to scrub off the blood with my equally dirty nails.

My heart sank a little when I wasn't granted with immediate results. The cold temperatures of the water made it difficult to rid the blood from my skin, but eventually with a little digging I began to see some leeway. Every stain of crimson that wound around my fingers slowly peeled off in brittle flakes, washing away down the stream like dust—forgotten. I sighed with a small shudder. With every streak of blood slowly vanishing from my hands, I kept returning to the horrific sight of N's body as I had seen it last night. Every image from that time seemed branded into my head, and every time the thoughts bubbled to the surface of my already swirling mind, a tremor of fear erupted from within me. I couldn't believe N had almost died.

I threw a wave of water into my face hoping that would banish those thoughts, or maybe even shake the last vestiges of sleep from my mind. The blood had nearly been cleaned from my hands and I was just about to work on my jeans, but I found myself frozen. I zoned out, staring unblinkingly at the stream which caught the sunlight and shimmered and soon blurred as my eyes unfocused.

N wasn't dead. Neither was I. The two of us… together… had escaped from Team Plasma's castle. Even now I was still having a hard time believing it. After so many years I spent looking out at the burning world through those windows, I was bound no longer. In a sick way I almost expected myself to awake screaming back inside of N's chambers. A crooked smile appeared on my face as droplets of water ran from my chin. Wouldn't that just be the biggest irony?

I imagine I would have continued to sit there sneering like insanity, if not for a sudden squeak which jolted me right out of my thoughts. I started, nearly losing my footing and toppling into the creek, as I noticed a small Audino standing beside me. Being completely startled by its appearance all I was able to do was stare at it like a Deerling in the headlights. How long had it even been standing there? Had it seen me snickering to myself like a weirdo? Just how much did this little Pokémon know?

My eyes narrowed as I stared the Audino down. Despite my haggard look, and my resemblance to one who has lost their mind, the Audino simply smiled at me apologetically. It seemed to have been saying sorry for surprising me, but I couldn't be sure.

I eventually found my voice. "Are you…?" I pointed with a shaking finger, still startled. "You're the Audino from last night…"

Before I could finish forging those thoughts, the Audino interrupted me by pulling a hat out from behind its back. I blinked absently at the black-billed, white fronted hat it held before my jaw hit the ground in realization.

"This is N's hat! How on earth did you find this?!" I gawped, taking it from the Audino's outstretched paws. I held the slightly battered hat up into the sunlight just to be sure. There was no mistaking it, in authenticity it was N's hat and it was in pretty good condition!

I looked from the hat right back down to the smiling Audino before throwing my arms around it in a huge hug. "Thank you…" I murmured, on the verge of tears. It patted my back humbly.

"Without you… my friend would have…" The Audino interrupted what was about to become a long, teary-eyed thank you by tugging sharply on my sweater. I pulled it from my embrace questioningly, "Something the matter little guy?" The Audino answered by pointing towards something approaching from behind and I felt a lump emerge in my throat. I gently set the little Pokémon on the ground before hauling myself up and turning around to find N walking over from the cliff face.

N proceeded over dew moistened grass, swishing the fallen leaves beneath his feet with each stride. A current of icy wind tousled his hair about, winding the strands like vines around his shirtless body. His head swiveled, turning from side to side as he took in our environment until his eyes finally fell on me. He didn't break his forward approach and the two of us were soon standing face to face in a canopy of autumn sunlight.

"Touko." N began, staring at me with those wide, analytic eyes of his, "It looks like you want to punch me." That set me off.

I stomped forth menacingly and he brought up an automatic defense, throwing his hands over his face so his observation wouldn't become a reality. Instead of slugging him in the teeth, which I honestly wanted to do but didn't have the heart; I threw his black hat back over his messy green hair and pulled the bill right down over his eyes. I crossed my arms in a huff and turned my back.

"Here…" I grumbled, "You don't look the same without it…"

N burst out in laughter. I felt a flush of colour come to my cheeks as I spun around, "What's so funny!?" I bleated angrily.

N's hand flew over his mouth as he tried to stifle his chuckles. "I-I'm sorry, hehe," he plucked a tear from his eye, "It just seems kind of cute when you try to hide your relief…"

I stuck out my bottom lip, still unable to rid the colour from my face. "You… are okay aren't you…?" I managed to ask. "Are you sure you should be walking around…?" I was finding it difficult to look into his eyes. Despite his brush with death, N was still walking around like he hadn't a care in the world. It was honestly a little irritating, but it was hard to get mad at him.

"There's no need to fret. I'm feeling quite fine actually. Anywa—Oh! What's this," he gasped suddenly as the little Audino, who I suppose was watching our conversation with interest, waddled up to N with a happy squeak.

"Hello then," he said, kneeling down to near eye-level with the Pokémon, "You must have been the Audino who saved me last night. I can't thank you enough for what you've done. I'd be in a pretty bad spot if it weren't for you."

The Audino responded with a string of chirps and squeaks that I couldn't made heads or tails of. N stared at the pink fur ball thoughtfully, nodding his head occasionally as it spoke.

"You don't say…" he mused as it continued talking, "I can understand how that would be troublesome…"

I turned towards the conversing duo, feeling very third-wheel-ish at the time as I tried to figure out what on earth they were talking about.

N broke out in a good natured laugh as if the Audino had just told a joke.

"Uhh," I suddenly found my voice, "Mind filling me in on what's going on here?" I pointed questioningly at the both of them, fanning my finger from side to side.

"Oh." N scrambled up, "Sorry about that, Touko. I forgot that you were standing there." My eyebrow twitched angrily, "I mean…!" N put up his hands defensively before picking the Audino up in his arms, "Marie says she wants to come with us…"

My eyebrows scrunched in confusion, "Marie? You mean she already has a name?"

N shrugged, "She just said that's what she's called. It's no trouble if she comes with us, right Touko?"

"Of course not!" I started. I was actually pretty happy about having this Audino join our group, and how could I say no to that adorable face?

"It's settled then," he said, holding the Audino gently in his arms, "It's quite fortunate for us, you see. Marie knows a move called _Heal Pulse,_ if we ever run out of potions or get caught in a tight spot we'll have her to help us out," N said scratching the Audino under her chin. She peeped in response, nuzzling affectionately into his arms.

"Wait a minute, what about the Pokémon Centers and Pokémarts?" I questioned.

N turned his gaze to the trees, staring thoughtfully into the gloomy branches, "From what I understand, both institutions have been closed down respectively. Now that people aren't allowed to use Pokémon anymore, what's the point of keeping up the facilities used to cater them?"

"Right…" I said, tapping my finger against my chin. It made sense, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around the thought of the Pokémon centers being shut down or converted into something else. It was an abstract concept.

"Anyway," he said, turning back to face me, "Let's go back inside of the cave now…" he looked downward, having the brim of his hat obscure his eyes, "There's something I need to talk to you about…"

The confusion was clearly shown on my face as I pondered what he meant by that. The air of composure N held as I helped him back over to the cliff face, recalled me to the time the two of us had met in Nimbasa City. The same sternness was settled over his voice when he dropped the bombshell of his kinghood right over my head… so long ago. What was N planning to tell me now? I got nervous just thinking about it, and even as we crawled inside of the cave N avoided eye-contact with me. Laika was waiting for us when we returned and decided to pre-empt our conversation shortly by tackling into N affectionately and covering his face with slobbery kisses.

"Laika! Hey!" I gasped, making an attempt to pull the fox-like beast off, "He's still hurt you know! Come on! Off! Off! Off!" Instead Laika threw herself onto me and gave me my share of her slimy gratitude. "Gross!" I squealed trying to fend off the Zoroark with my hands. I knew she was just showing her relief by lack of words, but I didn't need to be covered in her spit to know it!

After Laika had said her wet thank yous, I dug into my bag and pulled out a pair of shirts for N to wear which were much similar to his usual attire. The customary black turtle neck and white button up.

"Here" I held them out to him, "I found these in my bag and…" My eyes darted down to his toned chest embellished over with a grisly scar. My cheeks turned a little rosy, "Its cold out…"

N flashed a grin, probably seeing my embarrassment but not daring to address it. He took the shirts and pulled them back over his head as I took out something to eat from the depths of my pack. Anthea and Concordia had so generously planted food inside of my rucksack. Though it wasn't much more than a few slices of bread, cold cuts and a bundle of apples, it would serve as a good enough breakfast. I peeked out the mouth of the cave towards the high risen sun. Or lunch…?

N and I had established ourselves at the mouth of the cave and I waited for him to begin. But after a few minutes of silence he still did not speak. By the look in his eyes, it seemed like he was still debating the issue inside of his head. I decided to keep quiet and gnaw on my apple until he was ready to begin. The topic he was about to bring up seemed too delicate to force out.

After a few more moments had passed, N forced out a heavy sigh and said "I've been having nightmares too…"

I froze. I swore I misheard. But when I found his ashen eyes I could tell that he was dead-serious.

"You had them too? I mean, you knew about my…?" I tried to swallow what chewed apple I still had in my mouth.

"Well," N shrugged, giving me a sly look, "You're a pretty vocal sleeper…"

My cheeks became red and I turned away in a huff, "Okay, so what's your point?"

N's smile faded as his gaze settled over the forest again, "Well I…" he rested his hand on his knee so that Marie, who was seated comfortably in his lap, could have a nibble of his apple. "I kept having nightmares of your death."

I was finding it hard to swallow.

"They began shortly after you were first imprisoned. At first I thought I was feeling the guilt of witnessing your failure and allowing it to happen… and I'm sure that played a big part in it… but they were relentless. Every single night I kept seeing you perish." His voice was almost monotone but I could hear the undertones of despair clinging to each word. "You were painted with blood… not moving and not even breathing. I would try to awaken you but…"

A silence followed after that. I hadn't a clue what to say and even if I could form a response there was no way I could force it from my sealed lips.

"So I took you out of your prison and invited you to stay in my room." He looked down thoughtfully, "Though Ghetsis was vehemently against it, I finally managed to persuade him to let you live in my quarters…" The apple N had neglected was slowly being nibbled up by Marie's little jaws. "But still, the nightmares wouldn't leave me alone." He struck me with an unfaltering gaze. "Your nightmares were the haunting of the past… I took mine as a premonition."

My heart knotted in my chest.

"Please don't misunderstand." He said quickly, "This isn't really about me. You see, it doesn't matter to me how much I'm haunted or hurt, because I'm probably deserving of any ill fate that befalls me, especially after what I've let happen to you and this world. But I never wanted to see you get hurt, Touko. That's why I never tried to help you escape or go against Ghetsis's orders… I was so terrified that my vision would become a reality…" he lowered his eyes. "Who'd of thought I'd become so malleable?" he clenched and unclenched his one free hand. "My formula for a perfect world… has been corrupted…"

I wasn't sure but N sounded like he was crying—or at least trying to hold back tears. Both Marie and Laika seemed to see it as they drew close to their friend in the hopes of offering some comfort.

N's words had left me feeling so torn up inside. He had been suffering just as much as I had all this time and I couldn't even see it! I'd been so ignorant it was sickening; I wasn't going to let N wallow in his torment any longer. I went right up to him and wrapped him up in my arms. His shoulders shuddered and Marie was squished right between us, but I wouldn't dare let him go.

"Touko…?" He muffled out.

"Shut up," I responded, tightening my grip. "Please don't… don't try to carry the burden all on your own…" I broke the embrace and locked eyes with him. "The both of us messed up and all of Unova is paying for our mistakes. But we're alive!" N's eyes seemed to widen with the realization. "I'm alive… you're alive too… our Pokémon haven't given up either…" A few stray tears managed to find their way down my face. I hadn't even realized I'd been crying, but the trembling of my voice and the shaking of my body alerted me to it now. "W-we're the world's only hope N. We have to keep moving… we have to keep… going no matter what…"

And that's when I lost it. I dove back into N's embrace, hid my face in his neck and cried. My quiet sobs echoed through the depths of the cave, muffled by the fabrics of N's shirt as I held him. Marie patted us comfortingly while squashed between our bodies and Laika watched silently. I may have been mistaken, but the Zoroark seemed rather impressed by my short but sweet speech. Even I was a little taken back by my own resolve and the words I used to represent it. But the words just flowed so effortlessly just like salty tears down my face; they embodied my emotion and my determination. I hope N felt it too. I hoped he wouldn't give up on this world.

"I think you're right, Touko," N said breaking the silence and our hug, finally giving Marie room to breathe. "I've thought this over quite a bit and I've decided that I want to help you no matter what happens, okay?" he suddenly broke out into the most genuine smile I've ever seen. "Since you are the very first and the very best human friend I've ever had." His smile nearly broke my heart. It was so innocent and child-like I found myself forcing back another wave of tears. My hands flung to my face as I tried to wipe my tears away with the back of my hand.

"And I honestly…" N began again with eyes downcast, "I no longer wish to be the king of a rotting world…" he grabbed onto my hands, "I may not be much help to you Touko. I am regretful to say this, but I am also ignorant to how the world has changed…"

"So that means…" I leant back a bit, "You don't have much of an idea of how Team Plasma is running this region?"

He shook his head with a wave of green bangs. "But I have a bad feeling about it… a very bad feeling…" his hands began to tremble. "Because of our inactivity the Pokémon of this region have probably suffered…"

"Then we'll save them!" I shouted, gripping his fists tightly, "We'll save everyone. Together!" Shock was etched into his features, "You and I…" Marie reached up her small hands and took hold of where we had joined. I couldn't help but let out a little laugh at her eagerness, "And with the help of Marie and Laika I know that we can rewrite all of the wrongs we've let Ghetsis commit," Laika sealed the deal in a way by placing her clawed hands over ours and snickering.

"Together."

I'm not alone. Since I had been encased in despair for such a long time, call me crazy but I almost forgot what it felt like to be happy. The despair was gone now, and in its absence came a strong feeling of strength: hope. I had escaped Team Plasma's castle, stomped down the sadness; I'd even beat Ghetsis on equal grounds. N was with me, so were my Pokémon… all of us had made it out alive. We were free. I was ready to face whatever this world had to throw at me, whether good or bad. I was free.

But I was also so naïve, and I think I knew it somewhere deep down. Even if I had gained this small victory, there was a darkness waiting out there for me, with open jaws waiting to slam shut and crush me once I fell inside. But I was alive, no matter what waited for us out there in that burning world, the journey was far from over.

(_With a face of void, the Black King births death unto his red hands.)_

Ghetsis descended into the depths of his crystalline castle, passing through chamber after chamber, proceeding down endless staircases and wandering through colossal hallways. As he continued on through the archaic castle, the inhabitants that once coasted the halls began to wear thin. Guards no longer patrolled and other members of the Sages were no longer seen shuffling by. Only the sound of footsteps on stone pervaded.

After a while, the Sage reached a large black door set at the end of a cramped, empty hallway lit only by torchlight. The door was a monolith, free of any mark but a handle and the carving of a gray rose on its center. Ghetsis hesitated for no more than a second before pulling back the door and entering the room beyond.

The Sage had entered a drab, cramped sort of area which was nowhere near the grandeur of N's chambers. It was barren and empty almost like a void. Even the colours of the walls were gray and devoid of feeling or sensation, and shadows clung to the four corners. All that stood out in the room was a single window set in the furthest wall and sitting in front of it was a boy.

"Can I take the bandages off yet…?" He asked in a frail voice.

"Not yet…" Ghetsis replied keeping his voice calm, free of any emotion. "Does it hurt?"

The figure shrugged with a soft rustle of white clothes, "Maybe just a little bit…"

Ghetsis approached the boy and noticed a vase full of wilting gray roses placed on the window sill. The boy was caressing the dead petals softly with his thin fingers. Some broke under his touch, falling still below him.

"But you need my help don't you?" The boy said, keeping his back turned. Even though he was facing the open window overlooking a dreary world beyond, his face was covered top to bottom in bandages, even his eyes weren't uncovered. Which begged the question, could he even see anything beyond the frame? "The king has run away…" The boy continued, "With the white princess?"

"Yes," Ghetsis nodded, "He's taken her too…"

The boy made a muffling noise that sounded something like a laugh, "That's certainly no good. If she's broken out then that means…"

"My plan is jeopardized," Ghetsis finished with more force in his voice than before. "That's why I need you…"

"You should have killed the girl when she was in your birdcage…" The boy said, matter-of-factly.

The elder sage scowled for a moment, "You don't think I know that? It was an error on my part, but she was the only linchpin keeping that fool N in check." The creases on his face smoothed once more, "But the past is irrevocable, that's why you must take his place now. You can be the voice everyone hears and the face that they worship to." He glowered at the landscape.

"No one will know the difference?" The boy inquired.

"It won't even cross their small minds," Ghetsis sneered.

"But what if I run into the original king…?" The boy asked turning to look at Ghetsis with a face wrapped in white.

Ghetsis gave him a hard stare, "You have to kill him. Those two are the only ones in this world capable of abolishing this dominion" Ghetsis glowered at the boy, "Understand that I won't tolerate failure."

With those parting words the Sage turned his back on the silent figure, leaving him to his own devices.

The bandaged boy lay motionless as the door closed behind him with a slam and froze as the noise resounded through his cramped chambers. The tip of his index finger just barely grazed a gray petal browned with decay. A silence soon settled over the room once more, save for the boy's shallow breathing. With a sharp movement he reached forward towards his vase of gray roses and clenched the bulb of the flower ferociously; wilting petals breaking like char beneath his grip.

"I will show you, N. What the world looks like from below the heavens…"

And so… a new marionette sovereign was born.

**PART ONE END**—the pillars

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><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

_Marie the Audino joined the party! YAY!**  
><strong>_

Well everyone, the time has come at last. **Part One** of _White Heart Black Bones_ has come to a close. So. Please tell me readers, tell me your opinions of the first arc of this epic adventure. What did you like? What didn't you like? Project your thoughts and voices unto me so that I may gain in my knowledge of writing said epic adventures.

Now, with that thought out of the way, I would like to address my personal thanks to everyone who has: read, reviewed, and favourited this story. Help yourselves to a virtual pastry while your here, YOU DESERVE IT. Your thoughts and feedback have been greatly appreciated.

I hope you enjoy the rest of this story. Fare thee well.


	8. Blood in the Sky

White Heart Black Bones

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****Disclaimer******: **All characters and related trademark material belong to their rightful owners. The only thing I'm responsible for is writing up this story (and the OC's featured within it) which came out of my cesspool-like mind. Pokemon (c) GameFreak, Nintendo, Junichi Masuda and whoever else.

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><p><strong>PART TWO START<strong>

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Overture 

.

"_Ladies and gentlemen of Unova, my name is Ghetsis. I have come here to talk to you about Pokémon liberation." _That simple starting line was all it took to immediately grab the crowd's attention. _"Pokémon are sentient beings, it is fact. Both humans and Pokémon have co-existed together for as long as time can recall. We have worked together and forged bonds together, but I ask you… is this really the truth?"_

A tumultuous noise grew from the people around me, buzzing from their gaping lips like static. _What was this man saying_? The collective of their words formed this final thought. I watched the heralder as he spoke, with words echoing across the townscape. I seemed so captivated by his figure and his voice. I watched every movement he made, and eagerly clung to every word he said. The more I watched him, the less he seemed like a man…

His crimson eyes scoured the throng's questioning yet attentive features; he seemed to regard them all as slabs of meat. This orator… what was he speaking? Was he questioning our ideals, our truths?

"_Pokémon are subjected to our selfish commands and are forced to battle each other against their own will and desire. They are pushed around and degraded… while in reality we claim them as our partners. Can anyone dispute what I am saying?"_

The people turned to each other in confusion, sharing looks of question and worry. Every set of eyes pretended to understand what was happening, but they were just empty holes fused to empty heads; they feigned both knowledge and comprehension. I was exactly the same as them; a being who only watched events unfurl, ignorant of their consequence. I can't help but wonder how those people would have reacted if they knew the future this man's words would bring about…

The preacher suddenly raised his arms against a slate-gray sky, parting the robe he wore.

"_In order for us, as people, to learn from these spectacular beings known as Pokémon, we are presented with a task. _ _What is that task you may ask? The answer is very simple…" _The man paused for a moment before opening his arms in a vast, sweeping gesture. "_We must liberate Pokémon!"_

The crowd began to drone with noise again. "Liberate…?" Cheren questioned from beside me; his voice was almost drowned out by the chattering bodies that surrounded us. "I don't like the way that sounds…" he mused skeptically, holding his chin with his thumb and index finger.

If Pokémon were to be liberated… wouldn't that mean separating them from people? That's not right. That's unthinkable. Nothing benign could beget this act. The idea unnerved me more than I let show. I had just received my first Pokémon a mere few days ago, and now there were people around with the intent of severing our bonds? I hated it, and in a way I felt cheated. As far as I was concerned there was no way that this man could be right.

"_In order for both people and Pokémon to be clearly seen as our equivalents, we must liberate them. Then, and only then will we be able to stand eye-to-eye with each other, and following that a new world of opportunities shall present itself to us. I conclude my speech here, ladies and gentlemen. We sincerely appreciate the time and attention you have given us this day."_

With that closing thought, the man named Ghetsis stepped down from his podium and was swallowed up by his entourage of soldiers and led away from town. The crowd of bodies that surrounded my friend and I continued to prattle on about what they had heard.

"Pokémon liberation…?"

"Who's ever heard of such a ridiculous idea?!"

"As if that's even possible!"

"But… what if that man is right…?"

"What do you think Touko?" I looked up towards my raven-haired companion who wore a familiar look of indifference on his face. When I didn't form an immediate response, Cheren continued on, "What that man was saying… Pokémon liberation… When you spruce it up with flowery dialect like that, anything can sound good… though I can't help but think that this '_Team Plasma'_ has some sort of ulterior motive." My friend almost seemed to glower at the dispersing crowd as they wandered back into their houses and into the streets.

"Yeah, but…" I suddenly found my voice only to be silenced a moment later. Something had caught my eye over the emptying town square. A lean boy was standing in a shroud of shadows given off by the overcast sky, and made even more powerful by the brim of his hat. Even after all the townsfolk had left, he was the only person that remained. It made me wonder why. What did he want, and why was he looking at me with such burning eyes? The intensity of his look kept my words withheld, and I shuddered.

"Who is that person?" Cheren spoke my mind as he too noticed the boy. I didn't answer because almost as if on cue the mysterious figure approached.

The man came to a stop right in front of me. I stared up at him while nervousness grew in the pit of my stomach. There was something very _off _about this boy, so much so that I felt a vague repulsion towards him. But human beings can often be afraid of things they don't understand, and this boy who stood a few heads above mine was an enigma to say the least. I craned my neck to make eye contact with him in the hopes my nervousness would vanish once I got a better look at his face. I felt anything but soothed as I was met with a pair of analytic gray eyes, staring me down as if sizing up some sort of prey. I could only look at the boy in this soundless moment, though Cheren offered a different approach by trying to push the imposing boy back with an unfriendly stare.

I did feel fairly taken out of my comfort zone because of how odd this guy was, but I also felt kind of intrigued by him in a way. Why had he bothered to approach the both of us after such a milestone event had occurred? Did he wish to speak his truths as well? My curiosity prompted me to arouse conversation, since it didn't look like anyone else was going to, and the awkward silence was already driving me mad.

"Hello?"

The man lifted the brim of his hat a notch and suddenly launched his words at me, "Just now your Pokémon it was saying…"

"Hold on," Cheren put his hands up haltingly, "slow down will you? You talk way too fast. And what do you mean about Pokémon… talking? That's an odd thing to say…"

The strange boy almost seemed to glower at Cheren under his verdant bangs, "I see… So you can't hear it either? That's quite unfortunate," he addressed me again, "my name is N."

Cheren looked a little ruffled by this guy, who could only be described as different, but he didn't let that affect his manners. "My name is Cheren and this is my friend Touko," he sent a small gesture my way, "we've just started on our journey to complete the Pokédex."

N's eyes blazed at the mere mention of the Pokédex. "I see. But in order to do that you're going to confine countless Pokémon in those capsules. I am also a trainer but I can't help but wonder… are Pokémon really happy this way?" he began to proceed closer and I could already feel Cheren become on edge, but I simply continued to stare this boy down.

After hearing N talk, the way he spoke with such emotion, he seemed to be on the side of the mysterious Team Plasma who wanted to set Pokémon free. And in addition to that, he claimed that he could hear the voice of my Pokémon? I didn't believe him and I was willing to challenge his boast.

"You can hear the voices of Pokémon!?" Both boys jumped in surprise. I was even startled by my own voice, which was much louder than it should have been. I lowered it accordingly, slightly abashed by their looks, and continued, "I've never heard anything like that before. Maybe if we had a battle you could tell me what my Pokémon was saying."

N stared me down in contemplation.

"Touko," Cheren inched up beside me and whispered into my ear. "You sure this is a good idea? This guy seems a little…"

I had to cut him off, "Well he says he can understand what my Pokémon are saying." I plucked Hyle from my belt, "Wouldn't he be able to tell me if my Pokémon want to be set free?" I was still upset about what Team Plasma had said and I was torn. I didn't want to give up my Pokémon who I loved so dearly. If I fought this man who said he could hear the voices of Pokémon… and I beat him… perhaps that meant that Team Plasma was wrong. Because I really didn't want them to be right.

N stepped back in order to make room for our battle. "You're just as hot-headed as ever," Cheren grumbled before backing off.

N drew a Pokéball from his belt, "Then. Shall we begin?"

The first battle that I ever had with N was short and sweet. It was decided in only a few moves and it wasn't long before his Purrloin was incapacitated. I couldn't help but notice that during the whole battle N wore the most astounded look on his face. He was in shock and it wasn't because he was losing. I soon realized that he really could hear what my Tepig was saying to me. And when the battle had been decided he was only able to say, "… I was not aware that Pokémon could say such things…"

Even if he heard it back then, even if N realized that my Pokémon were happy by my side, he continued to pursue his ideals and his truths. He wanted to enter a future built for Pokémon and Pokémon alone, and if that meant expunging humans from that equation that would be perfectly fine with him. But ignorance made the both of us weak, and when Ghetsis pulled the rug from under our feet we toppled—we were knocked down because both of our futures were wrong. We failed, and as a result Unova was molded into something else.

_What is going on beyond the windows which I gaze? _

I don't know because the world is too far down for me to see. Even if my eyes were sharp as blade I could not see through the smoke, through the sadness and through the blood. I knew that the world below the heavens was burning, but I did not know in which ways.

But I reentered that world, and I wasn't alone when I did it, and that small blessing made the following events… just a little less painful.

.

.

Chapter Eight

**Blood in the sky** (…_turn your back on the castle of corruption_)

.

"N!" I huffed, doubling over. "Slow down will you?" N turned around, staring at me obliviously as I hunched, hands on my knees, desperately trying to catch my breath.

"What's the matter, Touko?"

I frowned, hardly able to believe that he was asking me that, "My legs feel like blocks of concrete is what's wrong!" I tried to steady my breathing. "Let's take… a break…"

N walked over with a strange look of worry and pity clouding his features. "… We can't stop now," he almost stated, casting a weary glance to the sky which was only partially shaded by the entwining forest branches. "Ghetsis has most likely sent his soldiers to either capture or terminate us… I wouldn't like either one of those options to become a reality…"

I flopped down on my rear and leant against a great oak, "I know… but how about just five minutes," I grinned innocently.

I must have won him over with that cheesy smile because he immediately sighed in defeat, "Alright then," and took a seat beside me.

The two of us sat in the woodland that sprawled below Team Plasma's castle. Apart from the faint breeze howling through the trees, an unnerving silence surrounded us. It was strange, considering it was a forest and all; it should have been full of life. But we saw no Pokémon in this place; no Lillipups scampering about; no Patrat gathering nuts for winter. There was nothing. The wind was our only company, and it met us in a cold caress.

The emptiness was a little bit painful, so in an attempt to block it from my mind I had thought back to the conversation N and I had that same morning. I remembered it well. When the night had ended and the dawn had come, N and I began our trek away from Team Plasma's castle. Our bodies were sore from the recent escape, and I was worried if N was well enough to handle all the walking, but he insisted so off we went.

Before the two of us set out, we had debated shortly on our next plan of action. I thought about heading to Opelucid City. I figured it would be a good place to start, considering that it's the closest city from the castle and all. It would be a good place to gather information on the current state of affairs and to see what kind of changes Team Plasma had made to the region while I was locked away. I knew they wanted to separate humans and Pokémon, but to what extent had they taken that idea?

"_We can't do that._" N said.

I could only blink at him, "_Why not?_"

"_While your reasoning makes sense, I fear that it would be too predictable to head for Opelucid now._" N explained while we snacked on what remained of our rations, "_Since it's the closest city from the castle, it is likely to be loaded with soldiers and the like, not only that but there's a good chance they'll be expecting us. Let me assure you, going to Opelucid would be the equivalent of a death sentence._"

That was a clear deterrent. I would have hated to go there only to be recaptured again. I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"_Good points. So then… where do you think is a good place to start…?"_ I tried to get an internal list of possibilities going, but I didn't get too far when N spoke again.

"_How about your hometown, Touko?" _I could only stare at him, since his suggestion came as a bit of a surprise."_It is the farthest town from the imperial castle… if I'm not mistaken. And there's a fair chance that your family and friends may be there too. I know you're strong Touko, but it would be beneficial for us to join up with some allies. Neither one of us knows very much about how this world has changed… we need to know more if we wish to throw Team Plasma from their position of power."_

I wondered if heading to Nuvema, my birth town, was just as predictable but N told me that the pros outweighed the cons in this situation. So we headed out. After packing our supplies and sealing up our Pokémon we dove into the forest beyond.

We had been stomping around on tired legs for what I would guess was a few hours into morning, and the complaining of my joints warranted a little break, at least for a few minutes. Though I was the picture of exhaustion, N seemed unfazed by our constant hiking through the rugged terrain.

_What kind of superhuman is he_…? I couldn't help but wonder.

"N…" I broke the silence, keeping my eyes set on the ground.

He didn't respond immediately, "What is it Touko?"

"When are…" I gnawed lip nervously, "uhm… when are we… going to be flying…?"

Before he could answer I continued to blubber on, "I mean, because we're going to have to get to Nuvema town somehow, right? I mean, we can't just hike all the way there. What am I saying, that's impossible with the state my legs are in. But maybe we could pull it off, you know, and it like, could be safer too. I uh…" N grabbed my hand tightly in his own and stared at me with dead seriousness. My voice was lost.

"Touko…" he said solemnly before his expression suddenly softened. "You're afraid of flying aren't you?"

A rush of colour came to my cheeks, "Yes. It's the stupid heights." I hung my head in shame.

"I don't think you need to feel bad about it…" he said carefully. "Everyone is afraid of something… aren't they…" a not so subtle hint of sadness was heard in his voice. I flashed a look of confusion his way but decided not to pry.

I kept on-topic instead. "But how are we supposed to get there if I can't fly?"

N smiled, "I believe you can do it, Touko. Rhoden believes in you too." Impossibly, his smile became wider, "And I'll be here for you. So you don't need to worry. Okay?"

Somehow, his kindness and faith put me at ease. Though it takes a lot more than gentle words to drive out a fear, N did a good job at settling me down until we reached a clearing in the forest. I was still anxious; my throat was dry and I couldn't stop shaking. My heartbeat thrummed through my head as a flock of butterflies fluttered madly in my stomach. I was scared. I knew that, but after I realized it, I accepted it in a way. I told myself that no matter how nervous or scared I was, I couldn't let the fear get the better of me. Flying was something that I was going to have to do. I couldn't turn by back, because I'd already run away long enough. If I'd escaped Team Plasma's castle, then I could certainly do this.

I plucked Rhoden from my belt and called him forth.

"Rhoden," I stared at my great eagle with slight distress. He simply stared back, "We're going to be flying." He cocked in head to the side in surprise.

"I know!" I wailed.

"We have to hurry," N said, looking over the forest uneasily to where Team Plasma's stronghold loomed over the sky. Even though we had put a fair amount of distance between ourselves and the castle, it could still be seen over the horizon. The sight was ominous as it stood there like a colossal ghost, turning the forests and mountains that surrounded it into twigs and molehills. It leered from its position in the sky, and it watched as we left it behind. But I had a feeling that no matter how far away from it we ran, we'd still be able to see its towers in the sky. It would always be watching, and waiting for us to return.

"Okay." I said, removing my eyes from the sight and facing Rhoden uneasily. "Okay. Okay. I can do this…Okay." Rhoden knelt down and I stumbled onto his back clumsily. N followed suit, mounting my Braviary gracefully and sitting behind me.

"Are you ready, Touko?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I clung onto Rhoden's plumage tightly, but not so tight as to hurt him. "Y-yeah… I'm…" I swallowed hard, "I'm ready."

"Okay." N responded, but I can't imagine that he was convinced.

I sucked in a deep breath, closed my eyes and focused on finding my center. I composed myself before the liftoff.

_I'll be okay. Rhoden won't let me fall. I know that I can do this…_

I thought back to the moment when I decided to escape Team Plasma's castle. The very instant it happened. The feelings I held when I forced back the sadness and fear and stepped out those windows. The desires I had to save the people and Pokémon in this world.

_I can do this…_

_I can do this…_

_I won't turn back…_

_I won't run away…_

I opened my eyes and looked up.

_I won't give up._

"Rhoden, use Fly." My Braviary kicked off the ground, beating his massive wings and taking us above the treetops in a matter of seconds.

My eyes automatically slammed shut, "Ahh- ah n-not above the treetops! Not above the trees!" I wailed out, leaning down closer to Rhoden's sturdy body as we gained altitude. I could have sworn that I heard my Pokémon give an irritated sigh as he halted his upward climb and held his course stationary above the disappearing treetops. Rhoden was happy to be free, just like I was, and I'm sure that all he wanted to do was breach the very limits of the sky with his newfound wings. But with the fear I was feeling, that wasn't going to be happening.

"Touko, calm down it's alright," I could just barely hear N's voice through the howling wind, "take a look."

I opened my eye a fraction to see the barren land passing below us, and I realized that it wasn't so bad. We weren't as high up as I thought we'd be. I mean, I had been looking out the windows of N's room for so long that this height really seemed like small potatoes. Rhoden had kept with my demands and glided just above the treeline. My heart was still thumping; my white-knuckled hands were still strangling Rhoden's feathers, but I was okay.

I hissed out a quivering sigh. "I-I guess," My head spun around in all directions. "I guess it's not so bad." I followed that remark with a nervous laugh.

"We'll be okay. Rhoden would never do anything to hurt you, Touko," N was saying, and my Braviary squawked in agreement. I felt N rest his chin on my shoulder, which sent a jolt of nervousness through my gut. "We'll probably reach Nuvema town by midday tomorrow."

"Yeah…" I said, looking over the horizon. I wondered what was waiting for me back in my home town. Was my mother still there? What had happened to Cheren and Bianca? What about the Professor? I had been absent from the world for such a long time that I wasn't sure how much had changed. I tried to prepare myself for any outcome, but even that was impossible. I could only wait until we arrived back home.

* * *

><p>We had been flying in silence for quite a while. I had grown used to the heights and the feeling of N's arms around me, so I wasn't as terrified as before. But if Rhoden tried to elevate too far above the treeline he was sure to hear about it. I didn't enjoy keeping Rhoden so grounded, and seeing him cast longing glances towards the sky really depressed me, but I wasn't sure that I could handle being up that high. So we kept flying low.<p>

I soon discovered that late fall was no time to be flying around; it was nothing less than freezing up there. The iciness of the wind tore through my clothes and pinched into my skin. And besides the goose pimples that coated me, my nose felt like an icicle and I even heard N fire off a few sneezes, which sounded like an air horn and scared me out of my skin. But we simply had to grin and bear it since walking wasn't much of an option.

We also avoided coming in contact with the main traveling routes during our flight. N advised that if we drew too near to the towns and routes there was a high chance that we would be spotted by Plasma operatives, and that was a risk we really didn't want to take. So we kept our distance from the populated areas and didn't come into contact with a single soul of either human or Pokémon. That was until the following evening.

I could assume that we had flown further south than Opelucid City but there was no sure way to tell; all I could see below were bony deciduous trees and the peaks of the shaggy evergreens going by. The sun was setting over the mountainous horizon, splaying a collective of fiery colours over the sky: an inferno of red which melded right down to a deep purple above our heads. I let out a yawn, causing puffs of air to drift from my mouth and N let out a little shiver. We were going to have to land once the night set in, so at least we could get a little sleep, and spare ourselves from contracting hypothermia in the frigid sky. But before I could even ask where we should descend, I felt N shift behind me as if he was turning around.

"Touko…" the edge in his voice set me off. Something was wrong. "I hate to distress you…" he said carefully, "but we're being followed." My hands clenched tighter on Rhoden's feathers; there was no possible way he could have said that without distressing me.

"Who is it?" I asked, keeping my eyes fixed on the descending sun.

"It's the Team Plasma Aerial Division," N cursed. "I was hoping we wouldn't run into them. We're not even half way there…"

"Do you think we can outrun them?" I tried to keep myself steady and calm; the last thing I needed was to panic.

"They're known for their persistence," he responded. "They'll follow us to the ends of the earth if they have too."

"Rhoden. Stop," Rhoden came to a halt with a thrum of massive wings, leaving us suspended in the icy orange sky. We turned around to face our pursuers and came to see many black dots which speckled the darkening violet sky, and they grew in size as they approached. I let out a shuddering breath, staring them down and trying to sum up a number, and trying to keep myself from losing my head in the process.

"How many do you think there are?" I asked. I wasn't pleased that a crack of fear had distorted my voice.

N paused for a moment, "About twelve I would estimate."

I grit my teeth. This was definitely not good. We couldn't turn tail and run because that wouldn't solve anything. They'd just continue to pursue us until we were brought down and captured. The figures drew closer and closer and I managed to pick out a few details. Many of the soldiers were riding atop Unfezant and Tranquill, each Pokémon was reined, hooded and wore a garb emblazoned with the Team Plasma coat of arms.

"That's the leader," N said, pointing to a dark, vulture-esque Pokémon which leered at us near the back of the flock. Even from this distance I could see the piercing eyes of a Mandibuzz. The rider of the sinister Pokémon was clothed in blacks and dark browns: a colour scheme which matched his Pokémon to a T. The rider's face was obscured by a beak-like helm which gleamed in the falling sunlight. They were getting close.

I took in a deep breath and swallowed my fears. "Alright." There was no other option. We were going to have to fight these guys. The mere thought terrified me considering I had hardly even flown before, let alone had to partake in an aerial battle. Fate seemed to be frowning on me now, but after all I'd gone through to break out of Team Plasma's blasted castle, I wasn't about to get chained up again. And that feeling alone pushed down the terror.

"Rhoden… are you ready for this?" I asked as the riders drew near. My Braviary beat his massive wings threateningly: screeching eagerly. I should have known he wouldn't back down. "Good. We're going to take these guys out!"

N tightened his grip around my waist once my words disappeared into the air.

A trinity of Tranquil shot a Quick Attack at us: boxing us in from the front and both left and right sides. There was no way to evade but to go up.

"Rhoden dodge it!" My Braviary shot into the sky and I suppressed a scream as the wind beat against my body. We arced over our adversaries and towards the cirrus clouds above. I forced my eyes open to see if the three Tranquil had collided with each other after we had fled. I didn't have a chance to look before N shouted my name. I looked forward to find a duo of Unfezant heading straight for us with dark talons extended.

I cursed, reacting a little too late, "Rhoden, dodge!" Rhoden weaned to the side, evading the first attack as the Unfezant blew by—narrowly missing us. The second Unfezant was coming in fast and we didn't have enough time to dodge. Rhoden avoided a fatal blow with his sharp senses, jerking out of the way at the last moment, but the Plasma Unfezant managed to take a hit at his wing. We teetered as a flurry of feathers broke from my Pokémon's body: drifting away in the faint breeze.

"Rhoden? Are you okay?!" He squawked a response.

"He's alright," N translated.

_Alright_. "Rhoden! Dive down!" My Braviary took a nosedive towards the trees below. We rushed past another couple of Unfezant on the way and they immediately made to pursue.

I clung onto Rhoden with all my strength as we barreled down with Plasma soldiers following right on our tail. Before we plunged into the forest below, Rhoden curved upward, straightening his trajectory so we wouldn't collide into the hollow branches. Our pursuers weren't so lucky. I heard the crash and snap of many branches and bones as our enemies fell into the forest.

I was almost laughing out of pure fear and exhilaration. I couldn't believe this was happening or that we were pulling this off. I couldn't rejoice long as a dual-pair of Tranquill came up beside us. I choked on a gasp. They'd caught up to us already? Even more surprising was that they were able to match Rhoden's speed. My reaction was delayed and I couldn't call out an attack.

"Touko!" N shouted, trying to pull me back into reality.

I cursed as the pair of enemies began to lash out at us with their claws and beaks.

"Rhoden! Up!" In response my Braviary sped towards the clouds, and I immediately regretted my decision. I could feel the altitude pressing against me: the tempest of wind ferociously pummeling my clothes and hair and howling through my ears. I almost felt like I was going to slip off my Pokémon's back and tumble to my death, but N and I managed to hang on.

Upon breaking the surface of the cloud-line Rhoden stopped his upward arc and flew forward. Nearly a second later, before I even had time to get a breath, three Tranquill and one Unfezant appeared from under the blanket of clouds. Rhoden was immobilized, waiting for my orders and trying as best he could to fend off our attackers with his massive talons. I was too paralyzed by fear to speak—my throat felt frozen. And besides that, I could hardly get a word out with all the wings beating against my body and the claws tearing at my skin.

"Rho—…" I tried to choke out against the resistance, "RHODEN, USE CRUSH CLAW!" I screamed as loud as I could. Rhoden extended his talons and brought them down with force against a very unfortunate Tranquill below. I heard the fragile bones in its wings snap as my Braviary clenched it in his claws.

"Finish it with Peck!" Rhoden drove his beak deep into our enemy's skull and he fell below the clouds in a lifeless hunk. I could almost see N cringing behind me. I didn't mean to be so violent, but it was the only way to deal with our enemies. It was either kill or be killed in these skies.

I ordered my avian Pokémon to use Crush Claw against the remainder of opponents, and Rhoden was merciless. He snapped their necks, gouged their eyes and smashed his skull into their chests. They were dealt with, leaving only gray feathers dancing over the air.

I expected more enemies to emerge out of the clouds and swarm us but none came.

"Where are they…?" I wheezed, but my attention was drawn by a black shadow which broke the cloud-line and headed right for us. I managed to see it quickly enough to evade, "Rho-Rhoden! Dodge!" He weaned out of the way just in time as a massive Mandibuzz flew past.

My Pokémon halted, turning around slowly to face our enemy who was hovering a few yards away.

"Pretty valiant fighting so far!" The leader boomed in a frighteningly loud voice; I have no idea how it carried so far over the roaring winds of the atmosphere. "Sorry to say that I'm going to shoot you out of the sky!" I swore I saw him sneering beneath his beak-like helm, and in response his Mandibuzz cawed deviously, "It all ends today!"

I returned the sneer, trembling like mad but feeling more confident then I looked. "We're not going to let this punk beat us, are we, Rhoden?" He screeched menacingly in response. I didn't need N to translate that. Rhoden was saying '_let's do it_!' and I didn't wait another second.

We both sped towards each other at breakneck speeds. By our trajectories it looked like we were about to collide, but we changed course at the last second.

"Use Dark Pulse!" The Plasma leader shouted on the pass. A dark wave of energy reverberated off the buzzard, striking us hard and throwing Rhoden off course. I nearly slipped off Rhoden's back as we teetered at a frightening angle, but N was there to catch and steady me, saving me from a nauseating fall. Unfortunately there wasn't time to thank him. The Mandibuzz was taking advantage of our distress and coming at us with another attack.

"Rhoden! Use Slash!" But my voice was drowned out by the Plasma leader's next attack.

Mandibuzz's body seemed to fade for a moment before a heavy force struck my eagle in the stomach. Our opponents had used Faint Attack. They followed up with a Fury Attack, not even giving us a moment to recuperate. The Mandibuzz's ebony beak struck into Rhoden's hide with force, drawing blood. As we were hailed, I couldn't find my voice to speak or to shout out an attack. N seemed just as distressed as I since he was squeezing my waist so tightly I thought my organs were gonna explode. The Mandibuzz drew back, and I thought for a fleeting moment that we'd have a chance to launch a rebuttal, but I was wrong.

Mandibuzz shot at us with such speed and force that it seemed almost invisible for a second. It had used Brave Bird, plowing into Rhoden's abdomen so hard that N and I were bucked off his back and cast towards the earth below.

The last thing I felt was the soft tips of Rhoden's feathers against my skin before I was falling weightless through the sky. I was going to die. But even that thought could hardly register itself in my slowly crumbling mind. But you know what the weird thing is? I wasn't scared. The gales of the atmosphere eviscerated me and the jagged branches below delighted in finishing the job, but I didn't feel afraid. I simply thought that the burning sky, with the veins of clouds streaking across the expanse, was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life. Rhoden, the Mandibuzz and every other vicious fighter on that plain became amorphous blotches that melded into the ocean of colour above.

I was crying. I could tell by the blurred world and the watery drops which slowly drifted from the corners of my eyes. Time itself seemed to grind to a halt.

A sudden voice shattered this strange, ethereal world of pre-death. Someone was calling my name. Somehow through the hurricane of wind which blew past my body, I recognized N's voice echoing towards me. My eyes forced their way open and I turned my head to the side to see N falling near me. He reached his hand out desperately in my direction… and I realized that he was trying to save me. It was funny. N seemed to think that if he caught hold of me then he could halt our fall and prevent our death. I reached my hand out to him in response, trying as hard as I could to grab hold, just to feel his skin against mine before we hit the unforgiving earth. The winds did all they could to keep us apart but we soon found each other's hands a moment later, and N pulled me into his embrace. We fell together. I remembered being happy because I thought dying in this boy's arms wouldn't be such a bad way to go out, you know?

But it wasn't over yet—it was far from it. The second I entered N's arms and felt the heat of his body merge with mine, and the pound of his heart resound in my ears, desire sparked. The numbness that encased me was abruptly driven out with force, and I was filled head-to-toe with a searing desire. _I'm not going to let us die._

"RHODEN!" I shouted against the deafening wind. "USE SUPER POWER!"

My voice carried into the sky where Rhoden was falling. His eyes flashed open and he turned to the Mandibuzz, rushed at it and plowed into its gut with titanic force. The vulture doubled over, spewing blood as it tumbled back.

After dealing with the leader, Rhoden belted downward, faster then I'd ever seen him go before. But as I saw him shooting towards us in the fall, I couldn't help but look down to see the bony branches of the forest only a couple yards away. He wasn't going to make it!

Rhoden could see that too and somehow, and with another great heave of his wings, managed to gain the final push that he needed. He zoomed past us, his image distorted by speed, and caught us on his back. And he came not a second too soon. I heard the branches below tear and snap as my Pokémon's legs ripped through the foliage. N and I scrambled onto Rhoden's back. Feeling the warmth and sturdiness of my Pokémon's body beneath settled me and quelled the fear. If my Pokémon had not been powered up by that last attack, N and I would be mince meat right about now.

"Let's go!" I shouted to my Braviary. After hearing that I was okay, Rhoden sped forward, fleeing the battle area, getting as far away from our enemies as we could manage. We had taken out their leader, and glancing back I could see the riders were in disarray. They circled around their captain who, judging by his subordinate's actions, had fallen into the branches below. I wasn't sure if he was dead or not, but now was the perfect time to escape, and with Rhoden heavily wounded as he was, we couldn't afford to stick around a fight a losing battle. Thankfully, none of our opponents followed as we disappeared into the darkening sky, and the first stars of night began to spark in the cosmos overhead.

* * *

><p>I don't know where it was that we landed, but after getting as far away from the battle as we could manage, Rhoden landed ungracefully into a small clearing in a brush of evergreens. We stood frozen under the sparkling night sky as I tried to settle my thrumming heart and rid the violent tingling from my body.<p>

"Touko…?" N broke the silence with a winded and shaky voice. "A-are you o-okay?"

I responded by sliding off of my Pokémon's back and crashing onto the muddy earth. I could hear N gasp as he scrambled off of Rhoden and squatted down beside me. He grabbed firm hold of my shoulders and brushed the hair and dirt from my face, "Touko?"

He looked so worried and distraught, but I couldn't take him seriously do in part to his hair which was sticking out all over the place, which made him look like he'd been zapped with electricity or something. More surprising then that was the fact that he still had his hat on, which was what shocked me more than anything. How on earth had he managed to keep hold of the bloody thing? His clothes were torn, and he was bleeding a bit, but I figured I looked just has haggard, if not even more so then he did.

So out of all the things I could have done at that moment… I decided to laugh. Well, it wasn't so much a decision as an involuntary rise of insanity. I threw my face into N's shoulder and I started weeping and cackling like some sort of maniac. N didn't respond to my uh, rather crazy antics at first, probably in the process of thinking that I'd become mentally unwell. But after a few moments… he started laughing too.

"I can't… b-believe that we…" I choked a few audible words out. "I can't believe that we beat them…!"

He stroked my back with soothing rhythm, grinning like an idiot into my hair, giving out broken chuckles as a response. I guess laughter really is contagious. Rhoden, who I'm sure by this point thought we'd gone mad, nudged me gently with his beak. I pulled my face out of N's shoulder and stared at my Pokémon who was so incredibly haggard, yet still looked so valiant. I threw my arms around Rhoden then, weeping with both pride and relief, burying my face into his torn plumage.

I kept blubbering into my Pokémon's chest. He was extremely tolerant for some reason and let me go on for a while as I choked out some intelligible praise, eventually though, N had to pry me off so we could tend to our wounds. Marie was handed with the task of patching up Rhoden's damage; we figured it best to conserve our minimal supply of potions anyway. N and I on the other hand tried our best to mend our wounds. None of our slashes were too deep or fatal for any serious medical attention. So we dressed ourselves up with stray clothes and such from my pack and set up camp for the night.

"What do you mean we can't light a fire?" I crossed my arms over my chest as I regarded my friend with slight anger in the failing light.

"I don't want to risk it," N answered simply, taking yet another nervous glance towards the night sky, "we may have taken care of the Aerial Division… but I can't help but think that our efforts yield temporary results. Besides… it looks like it's going to rain." He jabbed a finger towards the stars which were being slowly eaten up by cloud cover.

I felt my arms drop, "So, I guess we're freezing to death then?"

N put up his hands, "Please don't be bitter about this, Touko. I'm not too thrilled with the idea either. But we must do this to survive. We can't afford to be captured."

I blew out a sigh, causing plumes of steam to drift from my lips. N was making his argument pretty inarguable. I suppose I was just going to have to go with it, even if I did turn into a frozen mummy by the morning. Anything would be better than getting recaptured.

N caught my attention when he drew a Pokéball from his belt. I didn't even have time to ask what he was doing before he released Laika. The Zoroark took in a huge breath of air through her nose before blowing it out with a shake of her mane; her way of stretching I suppose.

"The temperatures will likely plummet tonight," he scratched his Pokémon gently on her jowls, "we can huddle beside Laika."

I pointed a shaking finger questioningly, "You mean… together?" Was I simply imagining the heat gathering on my cheeks?

"Yes," N agreed, "it's an ideal way for us to conserve body heat and maintain our regular body temperature against the wind! Laika can also use her ability to conceal us from any soldiers."

…That's what he was thinking of?

N noticed the face I was making, "What's the matter?"

I blinked, catching myself, "Oh! Nothing, nothing at all. Really!"

Once N and I finished our meager dinner of bread crumbs and apples, we huddled together and Laika wreathed herself around our bodies, just as the wind started to pick up.

"You don't think there'll be a storm tonight… do you?" I muffled into his shoulder, trying to rid the blush from my cheeks. It was hard enough trying to keep my voice steady, because my shivering and nervousness really delighted in setting it off and making me look a bit stupid in the process. It's just that… we were a bit too close for comfort…

"It seems possible," he took a look back up to the sky, which had now been completely covered in clouds. "But please try to get as much sleep as you can, Touko. The body works best when it's well rested." N held me closer with a gentle squeeze of his arms and I felt my heart quicken. Whether he was trying to contain the body heat we generated… or just wanted us to be closer together, I'll never know. I don't even want to know!

But by the way the night was going, my body was going to be anything but well rested when the morning came around. A storm did brew, and I could hardly get a wink's sleep through the blustering winds and the icy sting of rain which fell down. There were moments where I felt myself drift off into fragments of unconsciousness, and the rain was generous and only decided to sprinkle down on occasions. The tree we rested under was an evergreen, with very broad, thick branches that worked kind of like an umbrella, and probably saved the three of us from catching sick.

It was a relief to see the sky brighten in the morning hours once the storm had finally let up. I took my chance to get some decent sleep before we would have to get moving. But even then my attempts at slumber were quashed.

N suddenly tightened his grip on me, jolting me from my half-slumber and shoving me right into his chest. I could hardly even breath, "N…" I muffled into his shirt, "what the hell…?"

"Be quiet!" I jumped at the sharpness in his voice. I squirmed slightly until I was able to peek out of N's embrace. Only then did I see that his tone was justified. There were Plasma soldiers making their way through the brush only a couple feet away. My hands automatically clenched down onto N's shirt, bunching the fabric. My heart was thrumming noisily in my ear as I tried to keep my breathing silent. The soldiers drew closer, not looking directly at us, but they scoured the bushes and trees always keeping one eye skyward as they patrolled. Laika's illusory powers, it seemed, were keeping us hidden for now. I could feel her fur bristle anxiously against my skin as she tried to keep us concealed.

The duo of soldiers were talking, saying something about the direction in which the escaped prisoners had went, but most of their words fell before reaching my ears. My heart rate skyrocketed when one of them looked our way. He stared directly at our position for a few agonizingly slow seconds before approaching. I nearly lost it. My guard tightened with fear and anxiety. I planned on reaching for my Pokémon if this guy were to take another step forward, but luck seemed to be on my side as it were.

"Hey!" The second grunt suddenly cried. "There they are! I see them!"

His partner, the one who was approaching, suddenly stopped and turned around, "What? Where!?"

"They're in the sky!" The grunt shouted from behind in the brush somewhere; I couldn't see him with my face smushed into N's chest. "They're flying off westward! Towards Nimbasa it looks like!"

N loosened his death grip on me as the other visible grunt reunited with his partner. The both of them called out their Tranquill, boarded them and headed off into the sky.

I sucked in a deep breath, since now I was able to.

"Whew. That was a close one," N stated, watching the area where the grunts once stood.

"Yeah. Thanks. You nearly strangled me to death," I said, giving him a very displeased scowl.

N shrunk back from my look, "Oh. I, uhh, apologize."

"Okay," I forgave him (partially), giving his shoulder a pat, "was that Laika's illusion just now?" I tried to get a look at the Zoroark's face and wasn't surprised to see her grinning. "You made those guards think they saw us right?"

"Correct," N said for his Pokémon, "hopefully it will throw them off our trail for a while, and we can make it to Nuvema Town without further disturbances."

"Alright," I pulled myself up out of N's arms, shifting my weight onto my numb legs and trying to shake the dampness off my clothes. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom, and we'll get going once I come back, okay?" N didn't respond but I figured he heard me.

Once business was taken care of, I walked back into the clearing in which we spent the night to see that both N and Laika were gone. I stared blankly at the area for a moment, as if they would suddenly meld from the branches and into view.

A thought occurred to me, "Alright guys. Jokes over. I know you're hiding behind that illusion…"

Still… nothing moved. My heart started to quicken as I hurriedly called N's name. Had those Plasma grunts returned only to capture them both? "N?!"

"_Up here Touko!_"

A frown creased my face, and I followed the voice with my eyes. "N?" I spotted him waving from the top of a colossal evergreen and my jaw hit the ground.

"Oh my god. What are you doing up there!?" I gasped, craning my neck to try and get a better view. He answered something back but it was lost in the wind. "I can't hear you!"

N scaled down the tree with ease a moment later, touching down gracefully. "I said that I was giving the skies a glance over before we took off," he said casually.

That wasn't the issue here. "How the hell did you get all the way up there!?" I glanced up again as a reminder to how high he was. "What was that—like, eighty feet?! What if you fell?! Not to mention you climbed down that thing like a freaking Pansage!" I was convinced N was a superhuman.

"Umm, yeah," his cheeks coloured as if he was mistaking my shock for praise, "I used to climb trees like this all the time when I was younger. You can find lots of interesting Pokémon up in the trees…" His smile seemed to fade, "But there aren't any around here…"

I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, hoping to console him, "We're going to change that, okay?" I plucked Rhoden from my belt, "let's get going before anymore soldiers show up."

He smiled, perhaps showing me that he felt better, and both of us prepared ourselves for flight.

I boarded onto Rhoden, flinging myself onto his back. A motion more graceful than my first attempt, but so fast that I almost fell off the other side. Once I found myself steady, I felt N climb on behind me and wrap his arms gently around my waist.

"Will you be okay?" he asked me. N was probably worried if I had been mentally scarred from that dogfight the other day.

I looked up to where the peaks of the gathering trees circled around us and gave way to the sky. I wouldn't know until we lifted off, "…Rhoden. Use Fly."

My Braviary beat his navy wings with quick succession, elevating us higher and higher until we had breached the treeline and the wind rippled past our bodies. My heart beat accelerated as I looked down towards the sprawling landscape below, but something about the fear felt less terrifying and more exhilarating.

"Rhoden…" I called to my avian Pokémon. He turned his head slightly to give me a questioning glance. "You can… go higher if you want too!" I could see my eagle's eyes light up in question. I nodded with a smile, and he hesitated only a short second before taking us higher. The land below suddenly shrunk; the details became more minute and all melded together to from one large block of forest.

"Touko?" N shouted against the wind. "Is it okay for you to be up this high?" I think he seemed to notice how tightly I was clenching my Pokémon's feathers.

"It's okay!" I shouted out, watching as the world went by beneath us, all under one bright sun. I started a laughter that was distorted slightly with fear. "This is fun!" But I couldn't wipe the smile from my face.

It was just… being this high up seemed more beautiful then frightening now.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note<strong>:

And thus, Part Two of White Heart Black Bones has begun. I do hope that you've enjoyed everything you've read thus far, and will continue to find enjoyment in all that is yet to come. Let's look forward to the future.

and, unrelated note. I always figured N would be able to scale eighty foot trees like it was nobody's business. I guess he's just that awesome.


	9. Weight of the World

A cluster of leaves danced through the air, falling and rising in the cool current; they spun and circled together over the many fragments of wood and glass that blanketed the ground. In the distance, skeletal trees bordered the town. Their naked branches clattered together in the breeze, which added even more dead leaves to the current. From a distance, and mixed with the faraway drone of the ocean, the rattling of those branches sounded like laughter. The wind sank its chill into my skin and I shuddered as N and I stood in the shadow of my ruined home.

The beaten structure leered at us with eyes of shattered glass, looming forward as if it delighted in crushing us and making us just as scarred as it was. The front door swung limply on its hinges, creaking back and forth as if beckoning us to enter. I followed its calls with stilted, robotic movements and came to a stop right before the misshapen building. I lay a gentle hand upon its body of broken boards, but there was no sensation… no aura or feeling. It was lifeless… and empty. My eyes rose slowly, taking in the sight of the dilapidated building that crouched before me.

The house in which I had been born in, the house which I had grown up in, the house which had once harbored a family… had now become dead.

The wind chose its moment to die, and in the silence I realized… nobody was here.

Team Plasma had been here long ago it seemed, and had torn this place to shambles, leaving only memories to fester.

It took a while for me to speak, but eventually I found my voice, "They're gone." I turned to N who remained stationary on the very divide between shadow and gray sunlight. There was no despair or remorse in his eyes. He was aloof from the sadness I felt, but his air of detachment was justified. N didn't hold emotional ties to this place. This wasn't his home so he had no reason to be sad.

He broke the gaze we shared, "I figured this might have happened…" and deep down I was probably expecting it too. But coming face to face with this frozen destruction was too much to handle. Team Plasma had ravaged this place and my mother, Bianca, Cheren and the Professor were all gone… and could very well be dead.

_Wait!_ I thought in foolish desperation, _maybe they're hiding somewhere! They must be!_

I hurried towards the open doorway of my home, speeding into its confines and calling my mother's name, hoping that someone would answer. I was in denial and I knew it, but I still held tight to my stupid false hope. It was the only thing keeping me from losing my mind.

I was eaten up by darkness as I breached the doorway and my hand flung to the wall on impulse. I found the light switch but the room would not illuminate no matter how hard I flicked it. The power was down, or had been for a long time. I squinted hard against the darkness, begging internally for my eyes to adjust, and eventually they did. The shattered windows also leant their assistance by shining in a few rays from the overcast sky. It made trying to move around in this ruinous room a little easier.

The ground floor was frightening in the darkness. Tables and chairs had been overturned and strewn asunder. Drooping wallpaper had been fragmented by jagged gashes and dulled by element exposure. Family pictures and keepsakes had either been smashed or stolen.

I drifted in, rushed but stunned by what I'd seen. It was like entering another world. I suddenly gagged as the musty scent of decomposed food met me. I tried to pinch my nose shut, but the damage had already been done it seemed. The source of the vile stench, I soon realized, was the overturned refrigerator which rested silently with guts spilled all across the floor. But amongst all this destruction, I could not find life.

"Mom?" I ran up the steps as it appeared that the first floor was vacant, and burst into my own room which was in a much worse condition than what I'd seen downstairs. My bed was overturned and split in two, with shredded sheets dangling in the breeze. The same claw marks I'd seen downstairs ripped gorges into the floor and tore my wallpaper to bits. My bookcase was spilt; my old laptop appeared to be missing, and my dresser was smashed in the middle, like a large fist had been thrown into the wood. But there was no one here.

The reality began to seep in, and even though I knew it would be uneventful, I checked my mother's room as well. I just needed to be sure. But her room was destroyed and empty, just like the rest of Nuvema.

I turned away from her room in defeat, hung my head and headed back down to the first floor. N was waiting for me at the front door, regarding the internal wreckage with a steely disposition. He was both emotionless and unreadable as the breeze stirred his hair, as if it was trying to guide him in.

He spotted me on the stairwell, "They're not here, Touko."

I couldn't deny that he was right. Even seeing both Cheren and Bianca's equally ruined homes through the broken windows of my own, I knew that their houses were the same as mine—empty. No one was living here in secrecy; no one was hiding out in wait of my arrival; Team Plasma made sure that no one was left after they had come. We were alone in this town.

The desperation left me only to be replaced by unfathomable guilt. Why hadn't I been here when my friends and family had been attacked? If I'd only acted sooner, or had not even lost to Ghetsis in the first place, then none of this would have happened! This blame… this sin, the feeling strangled my insides and my cheeks were soon wet with tears.

N, who I guess noticed my crying, drew near in hopes of offering some comfort, "Touko…? A-are you going to be okay?"

But I didn't want his pity or his company. To put it bluntly, he was the last person I wanted to see, and when he placed a shy hand on my shoulder I pushed him away.

He reacted with genuine hurt at my cold repulsion but he just managed to say, "Maybe I… can help you?" Offering comfort wasn't one of N's strong points but his actions were pure. He just didn't want to see me get eaten up by sadness all over again. But I was upset and irrational and I honestly felt sickened by his gesture… as if he could understand what I was feeling.

"Just leave me alone," I responded coldly before nudging him aside and speeding out the door. But no matter how far I ran, the unforgettable past would not release its hands from my throat.

.

.

Chapter Nine

**Weight of the world** (…_memories from the heights_)

.

The waters of the ocean, turned gray by the overcast sky, flowed and ebbed against the jagged rock face of the cliff on which I perched. Only a small railing separated me from the drop below, and I did feel my stomach summersault a few times out of nervousness, but what I felt… the nostalgia of this place numbed out the acrophobia. I had my legs through the bars of the railing and I swung them back and forth over the edge, with cold hands clenching even colder steel. It had been years since I'd been here and strangely enough… so little had changed. On the other hand, I was worlds apart from the small girl who used to come here to kill the days and watch the endless waves roll by.

I hadn't been born with fear, and I don't think things like fear are predetermined by birth. The things you experience during your life, whether good or bad, attribute to what you enjoy and what you're afraid of.

My hands held tighter to the frigid rail.

This place had been the origin of my acrophobia. As a child, I wasn't scared of anything. Cheren would go pale-faced at the sight of insects; Bianca was perturbed by both physical and emotional pain but I wasn't afraid of anything, not even the heights. As a child I would often come to this place at the edge of town to be alone. Whenever I got into an argument with mom or one of my friends, this had always been my go-to place: my hideout.

I enjoyed watching the waves and thinking about all the different places that they came from, and I would even walk along the tightrope-thin railing that guarded me from the fall. I can only shake my head about how reckless I was, but even as a kid I was headstrong and defiant. I couldn't grasp the consequences of what I did; it never really clicked that if I ever fell off that railing then I would die.

I fell into the ocean one day.

The waves which had been so beautiful from above devoured my tiny frame with ruthlessness and fury. I was tossed around like a stuffed animal in a washing machine, water pressed against my body from all sides. It entered my mouth and suffocated my cries; it stung my eyes and took away my sight; I was pulled down deep into the unforgiving depths. In a world of pre-death you can't really think of much. Instincts take over and people react on their primal urges, just as I did. But no matter how hard my small body fought, nature prevailed and I was swallowed by the depths. I knew I was going to die.

By some strange twist of fate, I survived. You see, Professor Juniper had been near enough to see me slip off the railing. She arrived just in time to pull me out of the water with the help of her Swanna. It dove into the depths and yanked me out of the ocean.

As I was hoisted up into the air, my acrophobia took root. As I was pulled up and up, the distance which separated me from the fall grew and became more threatening. Falling meant entering that world of death again, and I wanted to avoid it at all costs.

As I fell onto dry land, coughing and sputtering, I could hear the voices of Cheren, Bianca and my mother calling for me in worry. In mere moments they were by my side sobbing, embracing, and angry at my foolhardiness. But they were always like that. My friends and family had always been there for me and in return I had been there for them, and that didn't change much even when we went separate ways during our Pokémon journey.

I began to delve into my memories again, a smile spreading over my face as I watched the gray horizon.

* * *

><p>The Legend badge was firmly grasped in my hands. This small piece of metal I had slain dragons for was the key to my final destination: the Pokémon League. I pondered endlessly on what was waiting for me over that horizon. I knew I would have to fight the Elite Four and finish off with the Champion, but I wondered if I would even get that far. How high could I climb until I would have to face N again? Things were different now considering he had the legendary dragon on his side. Was I strong enough to defeat him? Did I have enough power to knock him from his imperial perch and save the world he wanted to change?<p>

It wasn't right for N to change the world, for only him to decide if humans and Pokémon should be together or not. No single person should be able to decide the fate of many. I felt that way the first time I fought him, and my convictions hadn't faltered after many battles past. The world N wanted to create may be one built on pure will, but it could only amount to despair. It's as they say, '_the road to hell is paved with good intentions'_.

I loved my Pokémon and I had decided that I would go to any lengths to keep them by my side, even if that meant I had to destroy N's dreams. I made this pledge and I was resolved to see it through, but the more I thought about it the more wary I became.

What if I lost?

The world's future would be decided at the Pokémon League. If I lost to Team Plasma then all of the blood and tears that followed would be on my head. The world was perched on my shoulders and the weight of it was slowly crushing me. Having the Legend badge felt like less of a victory and more like a death sentence. Even after I had won the badge, I refused to leave Opelucid City. Every time I found myself at the gates to Route 10, a sickening feeling would overcome me; my nervousness would get the better of me and I'd turn tail.

Every morning I'd wake up at the Pokémon Center's lodgings and promise myself that I would move on. But my pledge would drift into the wind once I came face to face with the gate.

_What if I lost_?

As each day went by, my fears grew and the weight of the world threatened to crush me. After a point… I almost considered giving up. I harbored serious thoughts of running off and letting Unova's fate be decided by others, because I had never wanted the responsibility in the first place. The Elite Four and Alder were strong… they wouldn't go down without a fight. They would protect the Pokémon League from being taken over. They would defeat N. I was trying to convince myself that it wasn't necessary for me to fight. I tried to pretend that I wasn't a hero.

During the seventh day of my inactivity at Opelucid City, something rather unexpected happened. My mother showed up. I saw her calling out to me from across the street, waving her arms frantically so she wouldn't go unnoticed. I thought I'd lost my mind.

"Touko~! Toukooo!" She continued to call, rushing across the ivy-riddled streets of the city, with heels clacking against cobblestone.

My throat was dry, "M-mom?" I only had time to speak for a moment before she threw her arms around me and I was buried in her chestnut coloured hair, "Wha… What are you doing here!?"

She continued to squeeze me for a few moments before pulling away and locking her sky-blue eyes into mine. "I had to come as soon as I heard," she gushed. "I'm so proud of you!" she said, stealing me up into another hug. "You've got your final badge…"

Right. At least I knew the '_why_' of her being here. I pulled away from her almost smothering hug, "I do but… how on earth did you know that?" I regarded her unbreaking smile quizzically.

"Mothers intuition!" she grinned, tapping her forehead lightly with her finger.

I blinked. "…So you came all the way here, across the region, to congratulate me in person?" I paused, letting the reality of the moment sink in.

"Well, sure why not? But that's hardly important now, darling," she grabbed my hand hurriedly, flashing me an excited glance. "I've got a surprise for you. Come with me dear."

I could hardly manage a grunt of protest as my mother proceeded to drag me half way across town. But the main reason why I didn't rebel against her actions was because I felt that my mother was giving me an excuse to ignore my calling. Hanging out with my mom, who I didn't see much anyway, was a lot better than facing the dreaded future.

The destination we reached was the Pokémon Center. "Um… This is great mom but why here? My Pokémon are already healthy…"

She suddenly flashed a wolfish grin, "Ohh you'll see. Now just close your eyes, darling!"

"Wait. What?" Her hands suddenly closed over my eyes and I felt her push me from behind into the building. My paranoia skyrocketed. Was this really my mother? Why was she dragging me into a darkened building like this right before I was set to battle the Elite Four? Could some Plasma Grunt have assumed the role of my mother and was now in the process of luring me to my demise? That's it! They were taking care of me before I even had a change to oppose them!

"Happy Birthday!"

The large front lobby of the center was suddenly filled with a shower of confetti as both Bianca and Cheren proceeded to empty the glittering shards of paper into the air, very enthusiastically on Bianca's part. I was utterly speechless as my friends drew near.

"You should see the look on your face right now," Cheren observed with a crooked upturn of his lips.

"But…" I pointed at them blankly. "What?"

Bianca cocked her head to the side, pursing her lip in confusion, "Touko… don't tell me you forgot. It's your birthday for goodness sake!"

My mom let out a boisterous laugh at my gaping expression, then cupped her hand around her mouth as if trying to be covert, "I think we may have thrown it on her a little bit too suddenly!"

I was still at a loss for words as my friends dragged me out of the central lobby and into a secondary room that they rented out to host the party. As I was escorted to a rounded table dominating the room, I managed to find my voice, "Cheren? Bianca? How long have you two been here?"

Cheren rolled his eyes, "For the last couple minutes, dummy."

"I meant in the city!" I shot back. "How long have you guys been in Opelucid?"

"We arrived just this morning actually!" Bianca chimed in, guiding me into a chair and seating me right in front of a large pink cake. I had to gawp at it. Each member of my Pokémon team was painted onto the cake with coloured icing.

"Bianca did the drawings…" Cheren said, pushing his glasses way up his nose, acting like he had no part of the cutesy figures on the pastry. "But I drew that one…" he added quickly under his breath, pointing towards a large dark-blue blob which I guessed was supposed to be my Carracosta.

"I drew your Ophelia!" Bianca piped happily, pointing to a detailed drawing of a little Lilligant. "Oh! And I drew this one too!" She then pointed to a grumpy blotch of red and black which resembled Hyle to a T. I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer.

"Honestly, Touko," Bianca crossed her arms over her chest as a flush came to her cheeks. "They aren't that bad!" then pouted under her breath, "_I think I did a really good job."_

"It's not that—haha," I tried to speak through my laughter. "It just looks so—pshhehehe!"

"Now, now children," My mother came in as mediator and had us all settled down soon enough. She then pulled out a camera and started snapping pictures left and right. She even got a shot of the cake, which was good because I almost felt guilty eating apart my friend's cake-doodles. After we'd taken our pictures and formed still-framed memories, mom dimmed the lights, pulled out a match and began to light eleven candles.

"My Touko's growing up so fast," she said snuffing out the match and catching a stray tear.

"Come on mom! You don't have to bring out the waterworks for this!" My mom always got so teary eyed on my birthdays. To me it didn't seem like something to cry over, but I really grew with every year passed. The little girl who was born eleven years ago had grown into a hero.

"I wonder what you're going to wish for?!" Bianca questioned excitedly. My friends and family followed that remark with a volley of eager faces. I wondered… what should I wish for?

Should I wish for victory against Team Plasma? This party had me sidetracked from my real goal, but now of all times the realization had to flood back and my expression dropped with my hopes. Once the fun and games of this celebration was over, I would have to fight for the fate of the world. Should I wish for a way out…?

"…Touko? What's the matter?" My moistening eyes and quivering lips must have been more apparent than I thought.

"It's about Team Plasma, isn't it?" I had to flinch. Cheren was as perceptive as ever, "You don't think you'll be able to stop them. That's why you haven't left Opelucid city yet, isn't it?" Very perceptive. I was impressed that he could see through me so effortlessly; was I really so easy to read?

"I thought you said you've only been here since this morning…" I grumbled, avoiding all eye contact with my surrounding friends.

"That's not the point!" Cheren spat with unexpected force. "How long are you just planning to sit here and wait for things to change!?"

"It's not easy alright!" I shot back, "You don't know what it's like to be a designated hero. The pressure is sickening… If I lose then the whole world pays for it. I'm not the only one who's gonna suffer!" Tears were starting to run from my eyes, and I had to force every word out my mouth so it wouldn't crack with sadness.

"Please don't fight you two!" Bianca cried, standing up and trying to settle us down as she brought up her hands.

"Bianca's right," my mom said in concern. "This isn't the time for a petty argument."

Cheren turned his head with a swish of raven hair, "I wouldn't call the fate of the world petty."

"That's enough, Cheren!" Bianca barked with unexpected ferocity, "You too, Touko!" The blond approached me and wrapped me up in a huge hug. "Touko…" She breathed into my shoulder and began to tremble. "Why don't you believe in yourself?"

I bit down on my tongue, unable to form an answer that wouldn't be seen as pathetic. Bianca pulled away and stared right into me.

"Because I believe in you, Touko! And even though Cheren's a jerk, he believes in you too!" She was crying for some reason. I found it strange since I was the one with the problem here and I'd hardly even shed a tear. But Bianca was always more emotional then Cheren or I. She knew better than to let her feelings bottle up and gnaw away at her insides. "Your Pokémon, your mom, Professor Juniper… all the Gym Leaders… and even," her tears were beginning to distort her words. "Every single trainer in Unova… Touko… They all believe in you!"

I was shocked by what she was saying. Every person in this region… had faith in me?

"She's right." Cheren suddenly spoke up, "And that's why you won't lose to N, Touko. You've got this whole region behind you. And Bianca and I," he stared me down from under the lenses of this glasses which shimmered in the candlelight. "We aren't going to let you down. Understand?"

The reason I had never taken the initiative, after wining my final badge, to take on the League and defeat Team Plasma was because I felt like I was alone. After what Bianca and Cheren had said to me, I came to the realization that I wasn't the only one holding up the world. The hands of every trainer and every person in this region were hoisting it up too, and they were all stacked up behind me rooting for a victory that wasn't just mine—it belonged to all of us.

Because of the faith and confidence that my friends held for me, I finally did build up the courage to leave Opelucid City. And after that, I climbed my way up to the very top of the world. I beat the Elite Four and I even beat N. It was Ghetsis who I really lost to, and it was simply because that man wanted to seize the future far more than I did. Ghetsis wanted to create something, and even if it was a crooked, artificial world, his desire gave him the power to gain victory and mold Unova with his own hands.

As I watched the world burn from my tower, I had to wonder how Bianca, Cheren and everyone else were fairing. In the back of my mind, I had hoped that they would be okay and that they hadn't succumbed to Team Plasma's villainy. But in the end… I may have been wrong. They may have been defeated a long time ago, and the ghostly shell that Nuvema had become only further solidified that fact.

My friends… my family, where were they now? I couldn't find an answer. No matter how long the waves lashed the shore or the wind tore my skin, I couldn't find an answer.

* * *

><p>N came over and sat down beside me, sliding his legs through the gaps in the railing and swinging them back and forth over the edge. I was startled to see he'd come. I was so wrapped up in my memories and thoughts, and his movements were so subtle and silent, that I didn't even notice him coming. That, and I didn't expect him to come see me when I was in such obvious turmoil, and I had pushed him away so coldly before. I'd thought that he'd simply wait for me to return, probably scrounging around Juniper's lab and picking up clues as he waited. But he was here, right beside me, staring out at the waves that marched over the silver skyline. Even if I had repulsed him earlier, the anger was gone and I was left with a bitter feeling of regret.<p>

"N… I…" It felt like there was a lump in my throat, "I didn't mean to push you away like that…" I couldn't make eye contact with the boy beside me, and even though I had begun talking he wouldn't take his eyes off the horizon, "It's just that… everyone is gone and…"

I suddenly felt his hand close over my own and was drawn back over to his eyes. "You said it yourself right?" he showed a faint smile. "You shouldn't carry a burden this big all by yourself."

He gave my hand an assuring squeeze, "Your mother and your friends are strong… just like you are. They possess an unbreakable drive that makes them unstoppable. Even if they're not here, and this town has been abandoned…" he paused, looking down at the raging waves, "It doesn't mean that they're gone." He smiled at me again. "I think I can understand why you must be sad. But to the extent of my knowledge, your friends and family haven't been captured by Team Plasma as of yet."

I couldn't suppress a smile, "So you think they're still out there somewhere?" I could feel tears brimming over my eyes.

"I wouldn't be surprised if your friends are forming a resistance against Team Plasma as we speak." His smile was replaced by a look of serious composure, "And if they are then we need to find them."

"You're right," I agreed, feeling confidence flare inside me again, and then my stomach gave a noisy growl.

N and I both turned to my abdomen, and with cheeks flushed I said, "After we eat that is…"

* * *

><p>I surveyed the destroyed refrigerator of my house, stirring through the clumps of mold that used to be food with my foot; they disintegrated at my touch. I had hoped to find something edible in this mass, but every single piece of food that had once packed our kitchen fridge had been festering in the air for years now. In short, there was nothing salvageable.<p>

After my raid on the fridge had turned up fruitless, I turned to the cupboards that lined the upper wall of our once baby-blue kitchen. I poked my nose into the gaping cupboard door in search of cookies, granola bars or some other sort of nonperishable food item. In contrast to the fridge, the cabinets seemed to have been cleaned out by those who had trashed the town. I only found a solitary box of chocolate chip cookies and my hopes rose only to be dashed again by the small remainder of crumbs which trickled out. I frowned at the thought of the perpetrators of this disaster helping themselves to my food.

"Touko?" I spun around to the doorway to find N standing there with Marie in tow. "Any luck?"

"My cookies have been eaten," I told him with a frown, "how did you do? Find anything that we could snack on?" I ditched the bag and walked over to him. "We still have some food from Anthea and Concordia, but if we can find something here it'd be good to save what we've already got."

N shrugged, "We couldn't find much but…"Marie held up a box of granola bars, "we found these in Professor Juniper's lab…"

My face scrunched in confusion, "What are these then?" I picked the white box from the Audino's hands. An image of a chocolate coated bar was just barely legible on the battered box. I couldn't read the name brand apart from a few letters. All I could make out was the '_all natural health bar'_ sign written in bright red. "Are these edible…?"

"Well… they haven't been opened yet so it's better than nothing," N said passively.

"I suppose." I said, fumbling the box open and taking out a granola bar. "So how's Juniper's lab? Did you find anything interesting there?" I ripped open the bar and smelt it cautiously. It was apparently nonperishable but I had no idea how long it had been sitting inside of that box. There was no real telling how fresh it could be, especially if it was all natural like the box claimed. My nose ached after a whiff of that bar as it carried the overwhelming scent of pine. I nearly gagged at the potency.

"Her laboratory is worse than the rest of the town. Team Plasma's soldiers really tore it apart looking for her research. There was nothing salvageable, and we can't access her computers since the power is down. Though her machines are in such a state that, even with power, they'd be too broken to function." N walked in with Marie waddling behind and surveyed the sights of my ramshackle homestead with a wide, detached gaze, almost as if analyzing. "I do hope that Professor Juniper was able to get all valuable information out before they arrived."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," I said, finally giving up at dissecting the granola bar and biting a chunk off. "She's usually on the ball… ohh bluhhh," My hand flung to my mouth.

"What's wrong Touko? Has it gone bad?" N noticed my distress and rushed over.

I managed to push down what I'd bitten off before answering, "M-my god…" I sputtered, "how on earth can she eat these things!? They taste like raw dirt." I spun the package around, scouring for an ingredients label.

"They can't be that bad," he said with a relived smile. I frowned at my friend's ignorance as I tried to get the taste out of my mouth, but it continued to cling to my taste buds like a glue.

"We should probably stay here tonight then, Touko." N said.

"Right. We could hide down in the basement… you know, just in case Team Plasma decides to show up," I threw him an apprehensive glance. "You don't think they'll show up, do you?"

"I don't want to rule it out," N stared at me seriously, "chances are that they'll come here just to check if we were around. I can have Laika cast an illusion for us… so I think we'll be okay."

His words put me at ease if only slightly. I headed over to an old red rug that lay on the floor and peeled it away to reveal the doorway leading to the basement.

"I guess they haven't been down here yet." I said as I attempted to pry the door open, but for some reason it decided to be difficult and stick. I cursed, "Stupid thing…" After a few more seconds of struggling, I managed to get the door open and we descended down into the unlit depths. It wasn't all bad that the power was down, because lighting up a town that was supposed to be abandoned was not a good idea. N and I just had to rely on eyesight as we stomped down the rickety stairs.

"Sorry," I said, pulling a spare mattress down from a ledge under the stairs, "there's only one mattress so…"

"I can sleep on the floor." N said indifferently. I gave him a stare and then took a look down at the hard concrete floor of the basement, which was already coated in its own blanket of dust and dirt.

"Well, it's a double so we could uhh… we could… uhh, you know." I have no idea why it was so awkward trying to say '_we could sleep together'_. Maybe I just had some weird connotation in my mind.

"Sleep together?" N finished for me with a slight smirk hovering over his lips, "I don't have a problem with that. I find that I have a better sleep when you're beside me anyway, Touko."

My cheeks became inflamed and I tried my hardest to hide it. "Yeah. Okay. Okay…"

"Then, Touko…" The serious tone of N's voiced caused me to find his eyes again. I was a bit surprised to see he'd already taken a seat on the mattress and had Marie resting in his lap.

"Now that we know Nuvema Town is uninhabited, where do you think we should head next?" I could tell by his tone that he was asking for my opinion, not a decision.

"Well," I said, taking a small nibble of my already half-eaten granola bar, "how does Accumula sound? Neither you or I know very much about what Ghetsis has done to Unova. I've been in that castle so long…" My voice faded slightly as I began to zone out, shifting my weight from one leg to the other. If Nuvema Town was a hollow, then what was the state of the rest of the region?

"I think you're right. Accumula Town would be a good place to gather information. We need to have a good grasp on the extent of Ghetsis's takeover and what the current state of the world is…" N stared intently at the ground as if a million thoughts were bustling in his head, "perhaps we could find some information about Professor Juniper and your friends… or maybe, if we're lucky, we might find sympathizers to our cause…"

"One thing's for certain, "I said with a smile, "we're gonna need a good night's sleep if we're gonna rebel against Team Plasma." I took a seat beside him on the bed and offered him a granola bar, "You wanna try a bite? They're actually not that bad…"

* * *

><p>I was on a pedestal on level with the clouds, dangling my feet over the precipice and feeling the heat from the world below on my skin. My brain was sluggish and slowwitted in this ethereal plain of heaven. It didn't even register to me that the world below my rocking feet was aflame. The forests were dying in a red inferno; the leaves burnt down to quick ash, and the ancient woods collapsed into their own bodies. As my head swiveled slowly, I saw that the colossal mountains which pointed their peaks towards me were also crimson with fire. Even after I saw it all, I couldn't seem to grasp what was happening below me.<p>

Thunders echoed in the heavens as a tempest of wind rushed by, tearing at my skin and fluttering the skirt of my dress. A jagged web of lightning streaked across the clouds with a massive crash, creating the illusion that the sky was cracking. I wondered if it was even possible for the sky to break and fall… but that thought seemed to be filled with only curiosity and absent of consequence.

As the thoughts wound their way through my head, I turned my gaze up to meet the vast plains of heaven. The clouds pooled around my perch in a tunnel: a vast nimbus above my head, opening passage to thousands of glittering stars above. I laughed like some sort of child as I reached my arms up to the heights, completely oblivious to the stench of rotting flesh in my nose and on my tongue. From where I was sitting… I felt like I could grab the sun. Lightning crashed again and the inferno down below began to build and climb. I knew somehow that the blaze was yearning to embrace me. Even the lightning that galloped across the clouds had a desire to sink into my flesh and bury into my bones.

_Turn around, Touko._

I obeyed the disembodied voice that beckoned, and turned my head to find two brilliant figures composed of black and white facing me, opposite my side of the pedestal. They were massive creatures, standing many heads above mine, staring me down with their burning eyes and rumbling with their glistening teeth.

_I will create… order through chaos…_

I only came to notice the figure standing right between the two gods after he had spoken. Ghetsis was there staring at me with a face empty of any emotion. The Sage looked like an obelisk of a man, silhouetted against raging skies. My heart jumped right to my throat at his sudden arrival and I braced myself for fountains of blood to spring forth from the stone floor. But apart from the raging gales, the drone of flames and the sharp cracks of lightning, all was still. Everything was silent. I couldn't break my gaze with him; I felt paralyzed. But no blood sprang forth; no bodies emerged; the dragons simply bordered the man.

_Order through chaos… _He said again through unmoving lips. Even though Ghetsis remained stationary, I could tell that the voice was his.

A sudden stream of cold injected itself deep into the violent gale that ripped through the atmosphere. Flecks of snow began to rush by, dancing in the current and merging with the stars above. There was another dragon in the sky, but this one was painted in a veil of icy gray. Golden eyes met mine as it snarled in a breath of steamy air, showing its spaded teeth and the flesh and bone wedged between them.

After our eyes had met, my perch collapsed under the weight of the burning bodies which held it aloft. I fell through the air for only a few moments, before I was swallowed up by hungry flames which had long ago consumed the earth. Fires ate my flesh, my bones and even my spirit as I watched the uncountable stars glisten above.

Somehow I knew, as I was eaten away, that the heavens were laughing at my death.

.

.

_Nightmares don't die…_


	10. Knock The Walls Down

Dim rays of light drifted through the dust covered window above my head. It cast smothered illumination into the gloomy basement where N and I had spent the night. This place was still a sight for sore eyes, as it had always been; it was one part of the town which had remained unchanged at least. The basement of my house was crammed with old boxes, filled with forgotten toys, clothes and junk, meant for nothing more than to gather dust. And that's what they did, even to this day.

I shook the last vestiges of sleep from my mind and slowly started my body up. But I was in the process of having one of those mornings where I couldn't find the will nor desire to crawl out of bed. I just lay there for a while, stared at the cobweb covered ceiling, and got lost in a train of thought. While I underwent this slothful process, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss down here. But what was it?

I turned to the spot beside me and stared at the empty covers. Wasn't there supposed to be something there? After a few moments of staring, the thought finally clicked. N was gone.

I shot up in surprise, patting the empty covers next to me in the hopes that I would touch a body. There was nothing there. I took a few wide glances around the room, using only dim light to guide me, until I realized that I was the only one here.

My heart sank right to the pit of my stomach, and I made my way hurriedly to the staircase which led to the first floor. I was trying to keep myself calm, but N's absence worried me. And my mind wasn't helping since it had decided to craft up countless horrors of what could have happened to him. I tried to ignore those thoughts as I clambered up the stairs.

"N?" I tried to hide it, but my voice still cracked in panic. I poked my head out of the open doorway with hesitance. "Are you up here?" my voice was cut short as I found the man in question sitting at a newly assembled kitchen table.

He glanced over his shoulder questioningly, "Yes? What's the matter?"

I was at a loss for words for a moment, and N need only to look at my face to see why.

He answered an unspoken question promptly, "I hope you don't mind but I… uh… I thought it'd be better if I just set the table back up…"

I continued to stare at the sight at a loss for words. The display of a homely table set amidst wreckage was a startling contrast. It lay nestled between a wall of pulverized furniture, and acted as a sort of gathering point to all the shards of dishware which had been swept away to make room for its revival. The table still held together rather well; it hadn't been broken.

"I hope that's… not a problem," he continued, turning his back and avoiding my eyes. By his body language, I could tell that N was a bit worried if he'd upset me or not. He may have wondered if he'd accidentally desecrated the ruins of my home by trying to put small bits of it back together. While some people could be offended by it, I know Cheren in particular hates getting his stuff touched, N's actions struck me as benign. I let his words hang in the air for a second before blowing a puff of air out through my teeth.

"It's alright," I crawled out of the basement doorway and made my way over to the table, "I was just a little worried when I couldn't find you when I woke up." I let out a short laugh as I took a seat down across from him on a chair that creaked against my weight, "I think I overreacted a little, heh."

"I apologize," he said with a faint smile. "I rise early."

"Yeah." I leant back, folded my arms behind my head and used them as a rest, "…Team Plasma hasn't come here… have they?"

N paused, taking a moment to observe the lines and knots on the wooden table before saying, "There's been no sign of them."

The lack of emotion in his voice unsettled me a little bit, but I hardly let it show, "So. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I don't know yet. Logic dictates that, since Nuvema is your home town, it would be a hotspot for them to check, regardless of our earlier red herring," N began to trace the lines in the wood nervously with his finger, "though I think there's a reason to why they haven't come…"

"Which is…?" I leaned in closer with interest.

"They may have been ordered to leave us alone for the time being… so that we can witness every atrocity we've let Ghetsis commit unto this region, and after we've seen it all and have become enveloped by fear, only then will we be wiped out."

I stared at him, contemplating his words. I let out a sigh, "That might be true, or we could just be lucky. But it doesn't matter either way." I pulled myself up, "We have to keep on going… no matter what."

"Even if it's painful?"

"Of course. Nothing good will come from running away from the truth, or from reality," I reached up and scratched my head. "That's a mistake that I've made for a long time, and I really want to avoid repeating it again, ya know?" I grinned weakly.

A small smile spread on N's face, "Your unwavering drive impresses me, Touko."

"Let's just hope it doesn't get us both killed," I responded, holding the grin and heading back down into the basement to get changed.

We finished off Juniper's box of granola bars for breakfast. If you got passed the pungency, they actually weren't so bad. Either way, I was thankful that we had them. Even if they didn't taste the greatest, they were filling and sure to provide the both of us with the energy we needed to face the day.

N and I packed up all our supplies before setting out. What startled me the most was that we left this town exactly as we had come: with nothing. There was nothing here for us to take; not food, supplies, medicine, or even any leads on which to go by, but Team Plasma had intended for that. I didn't feel sad about it, and in a way I was glad. It meant that we would have nothing to hold us down; no possessions to tie us back as we went off to face the new world.

I stood at the doorway as a cool breeze drifted past, fondling my hair with the slightest caress. Even now the wind seemed to be drawing me back into my ruined home, as if it despaired at my departure.

"I'm sorry," A glint of broken glass caught my eye before I could turn out the door. What set it apart from all the other fragmented shards I had seen was the fact that this glass was held inside of a picture frame. I walked over and plucked the wooden frame off the ground, squinting through the cracked glass to see the image inside.

My heart ached ever so slightly as I stared, mesmerized, at the picture through the dust. After a few moments of silent staring, I forcibly pulled myself out of my trance. I buffed the picture up with my shirt and wiped off as much dust as I could manage. It didn't help much, but the photo inside was made much clearer. I walked over to the kitchen table and placed the frame on top. I looked at the four of us: mother, Cheren, Bianca and I through the broken glass and I made a pledge. I promised to those faces, who could be alive or dead in this world, that when all of this was over I would return Nuvema Town back to the way it used to be.

_I promise…_

I walked out the door and met up with N. The two of us left this forgotten town and made our way towards Route One, and the remorseful wind couldn't do a thing to hold us here. We didn't know what was waiting for us, but we would keep going no matter what.

.

.

Chapter 10

**Knock The Walls Down **(_The God You've Become_)

.

I couldn't see the trees because they were held captive behind walls of iron. The giants stretched high into the overcast sky, disparaging the height of the ancient woods they contained. The barriers didn't seem entirely satisfied with blocking the woods from sight, so they also strangled the wind and let silence have its reign. N and I stood in the shadows of these massive creatures, and they regarded us with wordless stares as we trembled in the cold and terror.

My throat was dry but I just managed to force out the words, "What… is this…?" I stumbled over the bare earth, feet crunching against dirt, as I approached the wall on my right. I placed a steady hand on its body, feeling its cold sink beneath my skin. I cast a wide glance along its pewter surface, watching the barrier stretch on until its point of terminus which I guessed was near Accumula Town; it was too far to be certain. As far as I could see, the walls trudged on unhindered.

"What the hell is this…!" My hand began to tremble over the iron; my voice faltered only slightly. I was about to turn to N and demand answers but my actions were cut short by his approach. He was beside me before I could even remove my hand from the wall.

"I was afraid of this…" N murmured, also placing his hand upon the broad surface. "They've sealed the Pokémon…" He cringed, looking up, "…Behind these walls…"

I looked out over the route to try and spot a clump of tall grass where I knew a Pokémon could be hiding. But to my despair, every single blade of grass had been uprooted and removed. I first thought that the season was responsible for the absence of greenery, but I was mistaken. Even though winter was upon Unova, no snow had fallen here. And even if the falling temperatures had been enough to kill the grass, I couldn't help but wonder, where were the remains? This route was absent of the limp and soggy grasses of post-autumn: the strands that waited to be buried in snow were nowhere. The raw, empty soil that was left didn't seem to have the ability to harbor life. I wondered if Team Plasma had altered it to be so.

"I can't believe this…" I spoke softly, my voice bounding off the walls and greeting me in a short echo. This drastic change was hard to wrap my head around; in a way it didn't feel real. "Can't… the Pokémon break out somehow? I mean, isn't there a way that they can escape?"

N shook his head silently, "Touko. I think these walls are for keeping the people away, not keeping the Pokémon in… I think…" The pain in his voice was unmistakable, "They may have done something far worse to the Pokémon to keep them contained."

I felt a lump in my throat, "How do you mean?" I almost didn't want an answer. I knew that people could be capable of horrible things, but what on earth could they have done to keep the Pokémon from breaking free? My mind was kind enough to fill in the blanks with the worst case scenario, per usual.

"I don't know. I don't want to think about it," N said dismissively. "Let's just…" he turned back to me with a saddened gaze, "make our way to Accumula Town…okay?"

I agreed because I didn't want to dwell on the issue. It was depressing the both of us, and the last thing we needed was to have a damper on an already glum situation.

N and I began our walk through this linear path that would lead us straight to Accumula Town.

The coils of barbed wire that wound over the tops of the fences clanked together gently in the breeze. A softer sound joined the melody; the drone of rustling evergreens could be heard from behind the barriers, but it was muffled, barely above a whisper. But those small sounds that could have been much louder were paled in comparison by the dry crunching of our footsteps. The sound alone pervaded as we walked through this empty place.

So much had changed…

The wind no longer combed through deep grass; no longer carried leaves in its gale; its sole purpose was simply to remind me of what was gone and accentuate what remained. There were no longer Pokémon playing through this path. There weren't any people strolling by, no cheerful "hellos". It felt like I had entered another world. Instead of trees there was steel. Instead of grass there was stagnant earth. I'm not sure how they did it, but Team Plasma had somehow made this nature artificial, to the point where walking down this route made me feel like I was walking down a hallway. It was sickening.

This place was dead; there was no better word for it. N and I were walking through its corpse.

I tried to ignore the horrible reality, but difficult was too light a word. N was looking just as distressed as I, but we avoided eye contact and just kept looking forward. Eventually, I noticed the honey-coloured buildings of Accumula Town begin to crown in the distance.

N placed a halting hand over my shoulder, "Touko… look," and with the other, pointed towards the end of the route. My eyes darted around the barren path between the solid fences, trying to locate what N was gesturing towards. It took me a minute before I came to notice a small girl standing at the base of the iron fence, staring up with defined loneliness on her features. I watched her quietly for a moment. She simply kept her eyes skyward, and I reasoned that she hadn't seen us coming. But I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing here, and why she was staring so remorsefully at the walls.

I figured that asking was the quickest way to find out.

"Touko?" N seemed worried as I approached the small brunette, but she seemed harmless enough. I wasn't really expecting a little girl to pounce on us or anything.

"Hey there," I said gently, coming face to face with the small child. She nearly jumped out of her skin as I spoke. I smiled apologetically for startling her, though I was surprised that she hadn't seen me coming. I was basically the only moving object on the path.

"What are you doing over here by yourself?" I took a glance towards the wall. "Are you missing something?"

The girl began to tear up and I jumped in surprise. "My… My…" she sniffled, bringing her tiny fists up to catch the tears, "my… Lillipup is…" The tears spilt from her eyes, rolling down freckled cheeks.

"Hey now," I knelt down to eye-level with the child and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You can tell us, okay?" I glanced back to N who was standing a few feet away: watching. "We're the good guys."

The girl sniffled again, "O-okay. Its jus' dat… I keep tryin' ta get my Lillipup out from behin' dat wall," she squawked, teary-eyed. "But dese mean men keep takin' him away from meee!" she started to sob again.

"Wait a second," I frowned up at the iron fence. "How do you say he keeps getting back to you?"

The girl pointed to the ground, sniffling, "Sometimes 'e digs 'is way up. But 'e can't anymore! Dey keep makin' da walls longer. 'e can't…" I could hardly even understand what she was saying through her blubbering. "'e can't d-dig under um a-anymore…!"

"Hey now…" I said, taking her gently into my arms and patting her back softly, hoping to quell her fit of tears. I was pretty good with kids so I wasn't having much trouble settling the girl down, "Tears aren't gonna bring your Lillipup back." I pulled away, giving her a huge grin, "But I can help you out with that."

She gawped at me, "You CAN?"

I stood up, placing my hands smugly on my hips, "Sure can, kiddo. You see I just happen to have some Pokémon with me. We're gonna knock down these walls and reunite you with your Lillipup, alright!"

The child threw her arms around me and began sobbing into my jeans "Tank you miss! Tank youuu!" She kept wailing over and over.

"Now now." I tutted, pulling her away. "No more tears, kay?"

She stared at me with wide, innocent eyes before nodding vigorously.

"Touko…" N caught my shoulder. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

I shrugged, "Why not? We have to start somewhere, right?" I plucked a Pokémon from my belt, "This seems like a good a place as any." That's right. I was going to change this.

N didn't seem convinced but he didn't protest. He and the girl both distanced themselves from the spectacle I was about to make: the history I was about to create. I was going to rip down the walls Ghetsis had erected.

"Hyle, come on out!" My Emboar landed onto the hard earth, snorting eagerly. "I want you to use Flamethrower on that wall, okay?"

Hyle sucked in a deep breath through his snout, and proceeded to spew a breath of flame onto the towering steel. The inferno licked against the iron, searing into the metal and turning it red. Once the steel had become heated, I instructed Hyle to use Brick Break on the weakened wall. Hyle thrust his burly arms into the smoldering barrier and tore into it with his claws, ripping the weakened iron like clay. It only took a few swings to break the imposing barricade and send it tumbling down. A ragged slab crashed to the ground with a deep, metallic moan, and that was the end of it.

"Right on, Hyle!" I took a glance towards the entrance of Accumula town to see some townsfolk had caught sight of the situation. We were right at the ingress of the town and the streets were bustling. I wasn't surprised we had grabbed some attention, and if these people were set to approach I was going to use it to my advantage. I was going to be their hero.

"Now." I spun around towards the girl where she was waiting sheepishly beside N, "Your Lillipup is in here somewhere, right?" I asked, steadily approaching the raw hole in the fence.

"Yeah!" She piped up, scrambling to my side. "Checkers! Where are youuu!" The child headed towards the tall grass which waited from behind the gash.

I was about to stop her from going any further, because I couldn't have her wandering through tall grass without any Pokémon of her own. But before I could do that, a bushel of grass began to shake and a small Lillipup bounded out of the foliage.

"Checkers!" The girl gasped as she raced towards her Lillipup. The dog propelled itself into her arms and she was tackled down as they collided. The puppy quickly hailed her face with slobbery smooches, and I couldn't suppress a smile. Something about seeing these two reunited turned my heart to goo.

I turned to N to see his reaction; how could he not see the bond these two shared? The sight alone was enough to make anyone's heart melt, and I figured he would be the same. Only he wasn't. Instead of joy or happiness, N wore the most fretful look on his face. His brow was furrowed; his leg jittered nervously, and his eyes darted towards the curious onlookers of Accumula with uncertainty. Everything about his body language radiated unease. I didn't understand it. What was there to be worried about?

"Tank you miss!" The little girl ran up to me with her Pokémon secured in her arms. Once laying eyes on the thing, I could understand the name choice. This Lillipup had checker-like spots dotting its tiny paws and a couple mismatched dots over its furry face. "But what will happen if dose mean men come back an' try to take 'im away from me?" she asked nervously, tears already brimming in her eyes.

"That's not gonna happen." I said resolutely, staring at the gathering crowd. Now seemed like a good a time as any to rally these people and get them to fight back against Team Plasma. I wasn't the greatest at motivational speeches, but I knew firsthand the pain of being separated from my Pokémon. Looking at these people's sullen eyes… I knew they felt it to. I knew things didn't have to stay this way. I knew that I could change the horrible world I let Ghetsis create.

With a triumphant sweep of my leg, I swung my foot down onto the fallen sheet of iron that once served as a restricting wall. "People of Unova!" I cried to the crowd of onlookers. "I realize that you have suffered much under the tyrannical rule of Team Plasma, but hasn't this gone on for long enough!" I gestured towards the ragged hole in the wall, to the untamed grass were a few curious Pokémon peeked their heads out. "It's time that we took up arms and begin to fight for what we believe in! We as people must rebel against this repressive government and rejoin both people and Pokémon together! Only with the unison of these two sides will we open up the possibilities of liberating ourselves! Those who have suffered, those who have dreamed of a different world; if there are any among you who desire change, please join me!"

I expected cheers: roars of triumph; cries of determination. I thought the townsfolk would usher into the grasslands, grab hold of their Pokémon and rush back into the town, ready to fight and take back what they had lost. Instead I was met with silent, vacuous faces that did nothing but stare me down with hate-filled eyes. A crack appeared in my hope. Why weren't they doing anything? Why were they just standing there? I gave another gesture towards the fallen walls but still the citizens wouldn't move. My arms dropped with my hopes. Amongst the crowd, some people drew away and retreated back into their homes frightfully, those who remained hailed me with a volley of scowls.

"Ha Ha Ha!" I nearly jumped out of my skin as a booming laugh filled the air, bounding off the iron walls on either side of the route. From the back of the crowd a burly Plasma Soldier came forward and sneered at me deviously.

"Look what we have here!" he placed his fists onto his hips and leant back as if admiring, "Must be my lucky day here! Ha! Here I am face to face with the escaped hero!" he brought his hand up over his brow, shielding his eyes from an absent sun and squinted, "Ha! The imposter king is with ya too!"

My brow furrowed and I turned to N questioningly. What did this soldier mean by imposter? N seemed just as confused as I was.

"Looks like you were tryin' to start a riot here, eh?" he boomed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. A mocking sneer spread across his thick lips, "Didn't have much success, did ya? Ha!"

I was getting sick of that condescending laughter. "So what!" I snapped, "Maybe beating you will get these people to see clearly and act."

His eyebrow twitched, "That a challenge then?"

I readied myself, "You bet it is."

The two of us locked eyes for a moment before the Plasma soldier took a stomp at the ground, "Ha! Why not then! I'm the one in charge of this town here and there ain't no way I'm lettin' a little girl and an imposter beat me."

"We'll see about that! Terra, let's show this brute how it's done!" I shouted, bringing my Galvantula out on the field.

"Galvantula, eh?" he scoffed, "Ha! You're no match for my Stoutland!" The soldier called out a large, mustachioed dog that growled menacingly at my electric spider.

The crowd that had gathered drew back slightly to give us fighting space. Other bodies from the town began to approach, and I thought for a minute that a desire was sparking inside of these people. But after taking a wide glance across the face of bodies, I saw eyes full of fear and disdain all targeted at me. It tore up my resolve pretty nice but I wasn't backing down. I hoped that maybe if I beat down this Plasma Soldier then it would get these people to wake up. Still, their inability to act frightened me to my core.

My Galvantula shuddered under our enemy's gaze; the Stoutland's ability_ Intimidate_ had lessened her attack. I couldn't let that dissuade me.

"Stoutland, use Fire Fang now!" The jaws of my opponent ignited with flame. This wasn't good. Terra didn't have very many weaknesses, but fire just happened to be one of them. I wasn't even aware that Stoutland knew Fire Fang, and I was a bit hesitant to react.

"Terra! Dodge it!" Thankfully, Terra was more alert then I was. She just managed to evade the opposition's gnashing jaws, "Follow it up with Volt Switch!" I couldn't afford to have Terra hang around the battlefield any longer. I knew I could evade all I wanted and try to land some decent attacks, but I really didn't want to drag this battle out.

My Galvantula began to crackle with electric current. She raced forward on her spiny legs and catapulted herself right at our adversary. Stoutland was knocked backwards, rolling upon the ground until it managed to steady itself and gain its footing. After Terra had done her job, she shot straight back into my Pokéball.

"Cheap trick," The Plasma operative spat, glowering at me from over the gravelly heath.

"I don't want to waste too much energy on you," I smirked, hoping that little remark ticked him off. By his unbreaking scowl I could see it had. "Hyle! Let's go!" Hyle stomped forward on his bulky legs, bringing up his fists and growling deeply.

"Stoutland! Use Giga Impact!" The Stoutland belted forward on its stubby legs, leaping into the air and throwing its weight right at us.

"Hyle! Catch it!" My Emboar opened his arms, braced himself for a hit, and let the shaggy dog smash right into his girth. Hyle let out a deep roar as he was pushed back, taking hold of his attacker who had so graciously thrown itself into his lap. "Use Hammer Arm!"

Hyle raised his fist. "Oh shit!" The Plasma soldier spat, "Stoutland, get out of there!" The dog tried to worm its way out of Hyle's grip but it was feeble. I flinched as Hyle's fist connected to the Pokémon's skull with a sickening crack; the Stoutland fell to the ground in limp defeat. The audience sucked in a breath of surprise at this turn of events. I smiled weakly under the brim of my hat. Was I getting through to them?

My opponent called his fainted Pokémon back to his ball and drew another from his belt, glaring at me in the process.

"You did good, Hyle," I praised, also sealing my Pokémon away. I was going to use Terra again for the next round. That Giga Impact had done more damage than I thought it would. I couldn't afford to leave Hyle out on the battlefield, especially if my opponent were to send out a stronger Pokémon or one with a type advantage. At least with Terra I could switch out if things got bad.

"Liepard! Let's end these fools!" A sleek cat of purple and black crawled out over the naked earth, arching its back with an angry hiss. The Plasma soldier frowned when I called my Galvantula out again; he must have known about the disadvantage he had. Since his Liepard was a dark type Pokémon, all I needed to do was hit it with an X-Scissor and he'd be out of action. There was only one problem with that.

"Use X-Scissor, Terra!" Terra crossed the appendages over her mouth and scuttled towards our opponent.

"Dodge it now, Liepard!" The dark feline jumped gracefully aside with a snide smirk. Liepard's speed was deadly and this proved to be problematic. You can't take down an enemy you can't hit and I was suffering with this. I knew I needed to slow that cat down somehow if I wanted to land a hit.

"Liepard, use Bite!" The soldier boomed.

I held my breath as the leopard came in close and took a chomp on one of Terra's legs. Perfect.

"Use Thunder Wave! Quickly, before it lets go!" Terra reared the pincers on her mouth and jabbed them into the Liepard's dark fur. It screeched in shock, reeling back as a wave of static coursed through its body.

The Liepard rolled around on the ground furiously, trying to rid itself of the electric current injected into its body. "Good job Terra, now we can…" My jaw dropped as the Liepard pulled itself off the ground and shook the static off of its body like water. It hadn't been affected.

"Wha…" I was at a loss for words.

"Ha!" The Plasma Soldier squatted down, putting his elbows on his knees as if he was tired of standing, "That's my Liepard's ability, little girl. _Limber_! Paralysis doesn't work, see?"

My eyebrows knotted, "Ability…" I echoed.

"Right you are!" he sneered, pulling himself back up. "Good luck trying to get a hit on us now! Ha! Ha! Ha!" he roared, holding his quaking belly as he laughed.

"Liepard! Use Pursuit!" The sly feline faded for a moment before taking a stab at Terra's head. My Galvantula was knocked down with a pained squeal. "What will you do now, little hero?" he laughed. "Going to run away again with Volt Switch?" his face suddenly darkened, "I won't have it!"

"Grab it, Liepard!" he shouted. His Pokémon leapt forward and sank its claws and teeth deep into Terra's bulbous body. Terra spun around frantically, trying in desperation to throw the dark feline from her back. But those claws had sunk in deep and there was no chance of bucking it off. But that was fortunate for us because now I had it right where I wanted it.

"Terra! Use Gastro Acid!" The Plasma soldiers face contorted in fear. My Galvantula spewed a wave of acid from the depths of her stomach all over our opponent. The Liepard jumped off in shock, trying to shake off the sickly green bile, but it clung to the feline's fur like glue.

"What have you done?" The soldier seethed.

"That move is called Gastro Acid. Now that your Pokémon is covered in Terra's acid, its ability is suppressed," I grinned, "I hope you know what that means…"

The fear on his face was unmistakable.

"Terra! Use Thunder Wave!"

"Shit!" The soldier stomped at the ground angrily, "Liepard!"

But he was too late. Terra sank her fangs into the Liepard's skin, injecting it with a paralyzing static. The feline screeched in pain, falling into a jittering heap in the dirt. "Finish it with X-Scissor!" Terra made quick work of that troublesome cat. After that move it was all over.

"You rotten little…" The Plasma guard gnawed angrily on his thumb as he returned his fainted Pokémon back into its ball. "This isn't over yet, you filth." He reached towards his belt again and pulled out another red ball.

He still had another Pokémon? Though I was assuming it was his last. Taking a look back at his previous fighters, both Stoutland and Liepard were final evolutions of Pokémon commonly seen around Accumula. If the theme held true that meant his last Pokémon would most likely be a Watchog. Terra had come out of that last round with only a few scrapes to show for it. I had confidence that she'd be able to take down his groundhog too.

I told Terra to ready herself as he called out his final fighter, but it wasn't a Watchog that landed before us. A bulky Pokémon stomped forward, leering angrily as flames licked out of its snout like a tongue. The pipe-like lines over its body clanged with each step, and smoke shot from its muffler-like tail, darkening the air. This was definitely not a Watchog.

"Heatmor, use Flamethrower!" I stood there in shock as a breath of flame sped straight towards my Galvantula.

"Touko!" I heard N shout from behind, but by the time his words met my ears Terra had already been engulfed in flame. I stood frozen as the fire ignited my Pokémon and seared deep into her skin. The face of the crowd looked on in awe and amusement as the light of fire flickered across their vapid eyes. They were enjoying this. They were enjoying my pain. They gained amusement at seeing my Pokémon die. Why?

"Terra!" My voice was drowned out by the hideous laughter of my opponent. The world seemed to grow dark around me and the laughter resounded through my head. Fresh stains of blood danced across the route. The bodies of my Pokémon lay crumpled beneath Ghetsis's sneering visage. It was happening again! I staggered back as my head began to spin. I was losing. My Pokémon were dying!

"Can't switch out now, can you little hero? Ha Ha Ha!"

I was about to fall flat on my face and pass out. It felt as if the whole world had turned against me, and I felt like I was going to die. But before my mind could shatter, a figure dashed out of the crowd. My breath was caught in my throat as the person, covered top to bottom in a dark cloak, pulled out a tin bucket and threw a wave of water onto my burning arachnid. The flames doused with a hiss and my charred Pokémon lay fainted on the ground.

"What the hell d'you think yer doing?" The Plasma soldier roared in question. The figure simply responded by slamming the blunt end of the bucket right into the soldier's jaw, which caused him to stumble back and fall over.

"Come on!" The figure called out to me hurriedly, motioning frantically for us to follow. I was too dumbstruck to comply, but thankfully N was on the ball. He grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me toward the figure. I called Terra back into her ball as we reached the mysterious person.

"Follow me!" They hissed, darting into the crowd.

"Let's go," N urged, pulling me by the arm through the heap of gathered bodies, using the confusion as a cover to slink away. I had no idea where I was being dragged, but I could feel N beside me and his presence forced my legs to move. As the crowd thinned, and soon grew further and further away, I looked back to see the little girl get her Lillipup taken away by a group of Plasma soldiers. The three of us dove deep into an unfenced section of forest and vanished.

**XXX**

After trudging through the ragged terrain of the forest, guided only by our anonymous host, we finally came to a stop. I doubled over, hands on my knees, as I tried to get a breath. The figure, whose identity was still obscured by their cloak, also bent over in exhaustion.

"Who are…" I wheezed, "who on… earth are you…?"

The shadowy figure took a few more deep breaths before answering, "It sure has been a while, hasn't it?" They turned to face both N and I while banishing the hood that hid their face, revealing a head of glossy purple hair.

"F—!" My words suffered from a dry throat. "Fennel!"

She flashed a smile, "The one and only!"

"What are you doing here?" I gawped, "How did you know that we were here?"

She shrugged, "I didn't. Actually, I had come to Accumula town to run an errand, and I just so happened upon the little scene you were making at Route One!"

I had no idea what to say but Fennel wasn't finished, not by a long shot. Her face suddenly darkened.

"And him…" She pointed towards N who was still standing beside me, "What on earth is the king of Team Plasma doing here?" she questioned with a mix of disdain and confusion.

N's face hardened and I brought up my hands quickly, hoping to avoid an argument, "No! No! He's on our side now! He's here to help! If it wasn't for him I would have…"

Fennel brought up her hand dismissively, following the motion with a soft smile, "I understand, Touko. But we can't talk here. Let's get back to my laboratory in Striaton and discuss matters there," Fennel turned around and continued to walk through the brush. I was about to follow but N caught my arm.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" he asked quickly.

I avoided his eyes, almost guiltily, remembering the empty faces the crowd had given me when I tried to get them to fight. "There's nobody else… to trust…" I said sadly, following Fennel back into the forestry.

The two of us caught up to her where she was waiting and followed her through the maze of branches.

"Fennel… I'm wondering…" I said looking around at the quiet trees, "Why isn't this part of the forest fenced off like all the others?"

"Only certain sections are blocked off and the Pokémon are quarantine behind those walls, like the ones you saw at Route One," she said, hopping over a fallen oak, "there aren't any Pokémon in this part of the forest, they've been driven out, so there's no need for a fence." She sighed, "People wouldn't like it if all parts of the forest were closed off to them, you know. Gotta leave some bits open, heh. Makes it easier for us this way…"

N glanced up towards the towering treetops which segmented the cloudy sky, "But… the flying type Pokémon…" he inquired. "Where are they? Surely they can get over the walls."

Fennel stopped for a moment, looking around the dense forest to check if we had company. She then responded, sounding very text-book, "I don't know if you've seen them already, but there are small prongs on the top of the walls. These prongs emit a frequency which deters the flying Pokémon from approaching, and in turn, keeps them captive." The dappled sunlight shone across her glasses, hiding her eyes, "But even if the flying Pokémon ignored the frequency, or could somehow go through it, there is an electric field overtop the walls which will strike them down if they try and fly over."

The shock on N's face was unmistakable and I too was struck hard with a certain disbelief. Fennel didn't waste time with consolation or soothing words. She continued onward through the brush, not even waiting for us to catch up. N stood there silently, staring with a mix of anger and sadness at the leaf covered ground. Some of the worst thoughts imaginable must have been squirming through his head. Even I had the displeasure of envisioning a Pidove staring sadly at the towering walls with shredded wings. But just as N had urged me in my time of weakness, it was my time to help him.

I grabbed hold of his trembling hand and tried to produce a comforting smile, but by his upset eyes I knew it came out crooked and warped. Either way, I sprinted off after Fennel, dragging N behind me.

After walking what felt like miles through the brush, and after my feet were raw with sores, Fennel finally came to a halt. I could see the red bricked houses of Striaton City melding through the bough. We were approaching a row of apartments from the rear.

"Alright…" Fennel licked her lips nervously, staring hard at the yellow back door of one of the buildings. The professor was silent for a few moments before saying, "I'll head to the door first… then I want the two of you to follow me in turn, got that?" N and I nodded. "Act casual," she said, standing up and padding down her coat before strolling forward, nonchalant.

When she reached the back door of her apartment, I made to follow. I reached the door just as Fennel was fumbling around for her keys. I turned a curious gaze to the sky. There was some sort of strange noise in the air; a rumbling that sounded akin to construction work. It sounded like metal giants were stomping around in the distance. But there was something weird about it. It sounded low and mechanical, like gurgling or the gnashing of teeth. Fennel got the door open before I could ask what it was. We were urged inside and the professor hurriedly slammed the door behind us, shutting the noise out.

Fennel leant against the door for a moment in silence, her back to us, before she blew out a relieved sigh. "I really can't handle this kind of intensity," she smiled tiredly, running a hand through her plum-coloured locks. "HEY AMANITA!" Fennel suddenly boomed, which caused N and I to nearly fly out of our skins. "Are you in here!"

After a pause, I heard someone stomping either up or down a staircase, and a moment later a girl in a blue dress peeked around the hallway.

"Are you alright, Miss Fennel?" she asked, and her eyes suddenly widened once she caught sight of us. Amanita blinked at N and I before saying, "Who are… these two?"

Fennel grinned, "This one's Touko, don't you remember? She's one of Juniper's pupils, came here a long while ago to help us get Dream Mist for our research!"

"Right!" Amanita looked up, the realization dawning. Her eyes then fell back down, "And… _what about him!" _She growled, and I shrunk back. Who'd of thought such a small girl could sound so menacing?

"He's…" Fennel regarded N quizzically, not really knowing how to answer.

"I mean you no harm." N assured, acting calm in the face of their suspicious looks.

"Really!" I said desperately, "He's a friend!"

"Alright," Fennel sighed, "I believe you." At least for now, I suppose she meant. She kicked her black rain boots off on a mat before turning back to her assistant, "Amanita, can you get a couple of potions for Touko's Pokémon? They got a little roughed up before we got here."

"Sure thing, sis!" Amanita chimed before dashing down the hall, her rosy pigtails bobbing up and down with every bound.

"Now then, you two come with me." The scientist led us down a hallway until we reached a divide. Fennel led us to the left which deposited us into a lounge-like room. The wallpaper was scarlet in here: all four walls leading up to a black ceiling where a row of florescent lights shone.

"Take a seat, anywhere is fine," Fennel shrugged, gliding into the room. "Feel free to put your feet up. Can I get either one of you a drink?"

Both N and I vouched for water and took a seat together on one of the black leather sofas in the room. It felt like heaven as I sank into the cushions. Following Fennel's remark to put my feet up, I tore off my boots which had grown tight around me and started to massage my aching ankles. Fennel came over a second later and placed a duo of clear cups on a wooden table before taking a seat on an arm chair across from us.

She stared at the two of us, almost observing, as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Um…" her stare was unnerving so I felt like I needed to break the silence. "Do you know where Cheren, Bianca and the rest are?"

"You've been to Nuvema, eh?" she sighed taking a huge gulp of her drink before answering. "You don't need to worry about it. They're all okay, as far as I know."

"So they haven't been captured by Team Plasma?" I asked hopefully, edging up on my seat.

"Right you are." Fennel jerked her glass forward, "I haven't been in contact with Juniper for some time now. Though the last time I checked, she and those kids were organizing a rebuttal against Team Plasma's actions." She took a sip, "A resistance, if you will."

"Located where?" N inquired, he hadn't even touched his water for some reason.

"I'm not sure," Fennel bowed her head apologetically as Amanita entered the room. "You see… I haven't had contact with Juniper for some time." Fennel closed her eyes, "I don't even know how fruitful the results of their actions have been. You can watch the news but its all garbage," she muttered bitterly.

I handed my Pokémon off to Amanita and she restored Terra and Hyle's health. She pressed the nozzle of the potions onto the release button on their capsules, which restored their health from the inside.

"The two of you are welcome to stay here as long as you want. In the meantime, I'll try to see what info I can dig up about Juniper and your friends," Fennel leant forward with an encouraging smile.

"Thanks. It means a lot," I said gratefully. "But there's something else I want to ask you…" I began hesitantly. "About the people. Why didn't they want to fight back when I knocked down those walls? I mean… I'd opened up a path for them but they didn't want to take it…"

The navy-haired professer sighed and leant back in her chair, "You've been absent from this world a long time, Touko. Things have changed more than you can fathom."

I didn't like the sound of that. Even Amanita seemed nervous and uneasy as she began to twiddle her thumbs, staring intently at the gray carpeting.

"And the _Dream Factories_ are a huge factor in that…" Fennel muttered absently, locking her eyes on the blinds that covered the windows.

Both N and I radiated confusion at that unfamiliar term. I was about to come forward and ask the professer what this _Dream Factory_ thing was, but my question was cut off by a loud trumpet call which cut through the air. Fennel and Amanita whipped towards the window where the sound had come from, their faces the picture of shock.

"Uh-oh!" Amanita squealed, "There's an announcement coming!"

"What… do you mean?" I asked nervously.

"Now of all times!" Fennel growled to herself, ignoring my question and turning to her younger sister. "You need to get them something to wear, and quick!" Amanita tore off into the house like a bounding Sawsbuck. "You two!" she spat, whipping in our direction. "Here, put these on," she plucked a pair of tinted sunglasses off a table and shoved them into my hand.

I held onto them stupidly, not knowing the cause of this ruckus, "Er… why? What's going on?"

"Put 'em on!" she snapped again as she went over to N and tore off his hat. "They're calling a town meeting. You two are going to have to come out with us."

Amanita returned with a bundle of clothes grasped in her arms. Fennel ran over to her sister and plucked a baggy gray sweater out of the pile, which seemed two sizes too large for any of us. She tossed it at N, "Wear this, alright?"

N didn't protest and slid the huge jumper over his shirt.

"They do house checks, you see," Amanita came over to me and threw a black coat over my shoulders, "If they find anyone in their house during the announcement then there'll be trouble. For sure they'll find you if you don't come out with us!" She squealed, wrapping a scarf around my head like a hood.

I didn't fully understand the situation, but I figured things would go smoother if I just went with it. I threw on the glasses and buttoned the coat up high to conceal my face. Fennel spread a wave of perfume through the room, trying to mask our scent I suppose, as Amanita ushered us out the front door and into the streets of Striaton.

The citizens were massing under a gigantic jumbotron which was mounted on a tower-like building, right in the middle of town square. The burning screen displayed the Team Plasma coat of arms over its surface as if beckoning the growing crowd.

As I drew closer to the screen-mounted building, I realized with horror that the structure had been made from the town's old Pokémon Center. I tried to suppress a scowl as we melded into the sea of bodies. So that's what had become of the Pokémon Centers, they had been converted into Plasma headquarters. The building was so different, so altered that I could hardly even recognize it from its former appearance. In the end it was the location that gave it away.

I didn't have time to look very long as Amanita pushed us into the crowd under the glaring screen, continuously muttering, "_Don't look at anyone. Keep to yourself. Don't_ _speak_." Fennel brought up the rear, trying to hide her nervousness as she glanced through the mass of people.

The people were murmuring, bustling, and congregating into one large blotch. People exited their houses accordingly, shutting doors behind them. Others came in from the streets and alleys that connected to this point. All four of us stood smushed in the throng and the screen continued to glare up above. I figured we'd need to wait a bit until all of the citizens gathered, but it was taking a bit too long.

As I began to look around restlessly, I caught sight of something over the many heads around me. There were groups of Plasma soldiers opening doors and entering people's houses. I didn't know what they were doing at first, but the answer came to me soon enough. They were doing house checks.

Just like Fennel had mentioned, these soldiers were entering people's houses and making sure that no one was hiding away or not attending the announcement. They were opening doors so effortlessly and without protest that I figured they must have had keys with them. My heart had fallen to the pit of my stomach in shock, but it grew even worse after what I saw next. These masked soldiers had Pokémon with them. They were using Herdier, who were hooded and leashed, to sniff out those who could be hiding away. Most of the houses the soldiers entered seemed to be vacant, but they were hauling a few people out of their homes and forcing them to join the crowd. But those who they did drag out, just appeared to have slept through the trumpet call, or hadn't heard it for some reason or another. No one resisted, I suppose they knew better than to do that.

Nobody else in the crowd looked at this sickening violation of privacy; they just kept their eyes upward and waited for the screen to come alive. N and I seemed to be the only ones watching the soldiers carry out their work.

"Don't look at them." Fennel muttered under her breath, with enough force to cause me to look away.

I felt horribly uncomfortable after what I'd just seen, and my head seemed to be pounding. I turned to N and asked him, "What do you think this is about?" under the white noise of the crowd. I could hardly even recognize him with his hood drooping over his eyes and a blue scarf wrapped various times around his neck.

"I don't know," he admitted, but the unease in his voice, though muffled, was unmistakable.

A trumpet call rang out again and the murmur of the crowd quickly died. All the citizens seemed to have been gathered, and the soldiers bordered the crowd like fence posts, as if to keep them contained. All eyes were set on the massive telescreen above, which towered higher than any building around. The Plasma logo flashed a few more times before cutting to a large marble platform bordered by masked soldiers. Each one had a flag grasped in their gloved hands. They stood around an elevated podium where one of the Seven Sages stood.

He addressed the people, "Citizens of Unova! Bow in salute to our eternal lord, N!" The Sage stepped aside to reveal a man cloaked in a resplendent fur-lined cape, wearing a glimmering golden crown over his verdant hair. N walked up to the podium, silenced the crowd with a gentle wave, and said with a voice that echoed through the sky itself.

"My people. A tragedy has befallen our nation this day."

* * *

><p><em>Are there no heroes left in man?<em>

__**Author Note:**

****Hope you all liked this chapter. This chapter was also vaguely inspired by a song called **The Stand (Man or Machine)** by _The Protomen_. The lyrics in this song remind me of the scene where Touko tries to get the crowd to fight, but her pleas have only fallen upon deaf ears.


	11. Repugnant Paradise

"_A culture that cannot distinguish between reality and illusion-dies._" — C. Hedges

.

.

"Citizens of Unova!" N's voiced reigned through Striaton's town square. It echoed off the encirclement of buildings and into the attentive ears of the citizenry below. Many adoring eyes were captured by the monarch's glorious image, fixed upon his figure which shone from the broadcast screen in the sky. I could feel it emanating from the crowd, a sense of overwhelming love and praise for this carved-out king. The people radiated with blind idolatry, and it left me feeling sick. It revolted me to think that the man they loved so zealously was nothing but a fake.

"A tragedy has befallen our nation this day." Despair fell upon the king's face as he spoke, "A terrorist has broken free of her imprisonment and wishes to abolish the wholesome kingdom which we have worked so tirelessly to create!" This second N made a gesture to a new image which had appeared on the screen, one of my very own face. The people scowled up at it, hatred rising.

The Second N continued his tirade, "Not only does this person desire to tear apart our rules and ideals that we've worked so hard to maintain…" his expression seemed to bitter, "she's also accompanied by a man who has stolen my image. An imposter king who has changed his face and body with the intent of deceiving us all!"

A sudden bolt of shock struck me hard and I turned quickly to N to try and find his eyes. I came to regret this action because the N that I saw beside me looked more torn up… more ripped apart then I had ever seen him before. His mouth was held slightly agape as he watched the sight unfold with horror stricken eyes. His gaze of utter shock and disbelief then slowly turned to one of deep despair. I knew that look all too well. I had worn it many times in the past. N was on the edge of madness, and each word his duplicate spoke seemed to drive the feeling deeper and deeper. I reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing down onto his clammy flesh with all my might. It was only a small rebuttal to keep the both of us from going mad.

"These harbingers of terror must be stopped!" The king boomed, slamming his fist down onto his podium. Every feature of his body burned with passion and it was infectious to the crowd below, drawing forth roars of agreement. "These people must not be allowed to release the abhorrent creatures known as Pokémon back into our world!"

I started, looking up at the monarch in shock. What did he just say!?

The king matched my gaze with his own of unsettling seriousness. "We of Team Plasma have worked tirelessly for years to confine and whittle down the numbers of said beasts. Our progress has gone well, and all of it could not have been achieved without the continued support and aid of you, the citizens."

The crowd erupted in cheer, nearly causing me to leap from my skin.

The king smiled, as if he could hear the people's understanding, "And with your continued support and effort, we will soon reach our ultimate goal of a perfect world!" His expression darkened, "But something now stands in our way! The terrorist Touko, her accomplice—the imposter king, and anyone else who supports their goals and ideals must be purged from this world before their corrupted way of thinking has the chance to take root!" The Second N opened his arms, "People of Unova, you are glorious and you are strong, and I know that none of you are as gullible and naïve to fall for the words that the terrorists speak. But there are some who may bite, and fall for their ploy, and those who do will be seen as enemies of the state and dealt with as such. I hope that each and every one of you, as proud people of this nation, will do your part and combat the efforts of the terrorists wherever they may rise. We are Team Plasma and we will protect you, but only if you submit and allow us to."

I felt N's hand begin to tremble within my own. That gentle feeling filled with fear is what pulled me from the sickening world of the king's words. I gave his hand another reassuring clench but it didn't come close to mending his distress. I couldn't even glance towards him a second time; my eyes were simply locked with the massive gaze belonging to his replacement.

"Long live our glorious nation!" The sovereign spread his arms out wide as if he could embrace every adoring person who heard his words that day. As if he could cradle the whole nation in his arms. The fading of his speech was soon replaced by an eruption of cheer. I almost couldn't believe that they were applauding this fake king and his lies, but despite my shock they continued to cheer deafeningly.

The Second N's image was replaced in a flash by the Team Plasma coat of arms which gleamed on the screen. Another trumpet call rang out over the town, signifying that the announcement had come to an end. The people quickly dispersed back into their homes or into the streets, mumbling to each other, looking thoughtful and understanding, and slightly fearful, as if they knew the real truth.

As the bodies around me grew thin, I tried to get my legs to move but I felt glued in place. N, who was still clenching my hand tightly, also stood frozen. We probably would have caught some unnecessary attention if Fennel and Amanita hadn't grabbed hold of us and forced us back to their home. Even without their guiding aid, walking would have been impossible. My limbs felt numb; my mouth so dry. I can imagine that the professor was saying something to us from under her breath, but my throbbing heartbeat drowned it out. I was no longer looking at the screen but I could still see its image, as if it had burned into my eyes. Even the words that had resounded out from that tower echoed faintly behind my pulse. I couldn't believe it… but I knew it was real. We had all seen it and I couldn't convince myself otherwise.

We were monsters in the eyes of this nation. What could we possibly do to change that fact? The Second N had pounded the words into the hearts and minds of the people. It was engraved into their very being now. We couldn't simply pave over their thoughts without causing chaos and terror. The words of the hero had become vile. In an instant, we had become the enemies. The people didn't want to be saved from this rotting paradise. And they never would.

As Fennel and Amanita pushed the both of us inside, locking the world out, I could only think that things would never be the same.

.

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Chapter 11

**Repugnant Paradise **(_…under the void throne_)

.

Streams of water ran down my body from the showerhead above, slowly erasing all the blood and grime that had been coating my body since our escape from Team Plasma's castle. Having a shower after such a long time felt heavenly to say the least, although the mood was continually spoilt as my thoughts kept returning to the announcement the Second N had given earlier that day. The goal N and I shared for freeing both the people and Pokémon from this region had been quashed by what he had said. We were now seen as enemies of the state, and no matter where we would go that fact wouldn't change as long as the screen continued to herald it so. Our pleas of liberation had fallen deaf in the ears of this nation.

I let out a heavy sigh which was lost in the drone of falling water.

But that wasn't all. I had the feeling that there was something else wrong here. The people of Striaton just gobbled up the king's words so eagerly and without doubt that it unnerved me. No one questioned the words he spoke; no one thought of whether it was truth or falsehood. Why was that? Even when I tried to start a small rebellion on Route One… they all looked at me like I was some sort of monster.

I reached for the knob, turned off the water and stepped out of the small shower. I snatched up a towel and quickly dried myself off before throwing on a pair of pajamas that Fennel had leant me. The jams were a bit baggy and the sleeves felt like flippers, but they fit well for the most part. It was a mild struggle trying to open up the bathroom door with such baggy sleeves, but I managed in good time. A cloud of steam leapt up towards the ceiling as I stepped out of the bathroom and into the dark spare room we had been leant. The lights were off. No one had bothered to turn them on, so the only illumination the room got was from the streetlamps outside.

I spotted N sitting at the only bed in the room which hugged against the far left wall. The bed was the only thing that filled this room; there was nothing else here, it was basically empty apart from a single window on the far right wall. I stared at N for a few lingering moments, but he remained motionless. With elbows on his knees, head bowed, lit eerily by the streetlights outside, he looked like some sort of statue. His hair was untied, falling across his body and over his eyes, which kept his expression hidden. But I didn't need to see his face to know what he was feeling. It was as clear as day that N was in pain.

I walked over to him and took a seat beside him on the bed. He didn't move, only shifted slightly as the bed dipped from my weight.

"That… person…" I tried to say as carefully as possible, "…the one who looked just like you…"

"I don't know who he is." N said suddenly, keeping his eyes, what I could see of them, trained on the floor.

Earlier that day when the announcement had ended and we lay safe inside Fennel's home, N continued to assure us that he had no idea who his lookalike really was or why he possessed his face. Both Fennel and Amanita were hesitant to take his word but I assured them that N was telling the truth. I believed him. I knew just by the way he acted during that broadcast, the fear that enveloped his eyes, such raw emotion is not easily feigned. Though the professor and her sister didn't seem entirely convinced, they let the subject drop and we did not discuss it further. Since then, N had become very distant and antisocial, even to me, and the day wore its way into night.

I knew the subject was touchy, and it was probably something that he wanted to avoid, but talking about it was something we needed to do. I needed to know if N really knew anything about his duplicate or who the man truly was.

"I don't know what his real name is… or why he wears my face," the torment in his voice was hard to take, and I tried to offer some comfort by placing a gentle hand over his bare shoulder. It was hard to console him since I couldn't really say that everything was going to be fine. I imagined how I would feel if someone had stolen my face and the kingdom that I once ruled over. Betrayal would probably just be scratching the surface.

I didn't know what I should say to lessen his sadness, so I simply told him, "I'll be here," and traced my fingers down the grooves in his back, along his spine soothingly.

N let out a shuddering sigh under my caress, and I felt his body become lax. "I think… since I left Team Plasma, Ghetsis has needed another person to take my place. Someone to fill the void I left…" he started. "But something worries me, Touko."

The tone of his voice caused me to try and find his eyes, but even when I looked at him, his gaze was on the window on the opposite wall. "What is it?" I had to ask.

N paused before collecting his thoughts and speaking again, "It troubles me that Ghetsis has taken the time and effort to mold another emperor into my image…" he locked his eyes into mine, "…when he simply could have taken the throne himself."

The sound of a car drifting by evaporated the silence of night.

I asked N what he thought Ghetsis's machinations were, but he simply shook his head dismissively. That simply meant he was just as clueless as I was, but not knowing made it much worse. My imagination filled in the horrors for me.

Silence pervaded again as the both of us mulled over our unsettling thoughts. I tried to pursue the outcome of the Sage's actions but my mind was sidetracked again by another thought. There was something that I needed to say…

"Um…N?" My throat was already turning dry. He turned towards me in question; something about my faltering tone must have sparked his curiosity. The inquisitive look he gave me didn't help matters as I tried to gather my thoughts and get them out of my mind.

"I want to apologize for what happened back there on Route One…" I looked away. "It was… stupid of me to think I could convince everyone so easily… to fight against Team Plasma. I mean… I'd thought they'd want to… you know?" The guilt I was feeling made speaking sound awkward.

It was N's turn to offer his own form of comfort by placing a steady hand over my own. I was drawn back into his eyes again to see not a look of loathing or contempt, instead he seemed understanding.

"It's alright. Neither of us could have known how lifeless the masses have become. Even when I was the one standing on that podium… I never really thought they had become such cattle. It appears that I was wrong to think otherwise. In fact, these humans might be far more subservient than I feared." He frowned. "I find it difficult to want to fight for such vacuous people… people who won't even grasp at freedom when it's thrown in their laps."

"There's something more than that." I told him.

He glanced questioningly in my direction. "…What do you mean?"

"There's a reason the people are like this, N. I'm not… really sure what it is yet but, there's definitely a reason why they're acting like such… like such robots."

He looked unconvinced.

"But that's beside the point. We worked so hard to get this far… there's no way I'm throwing in the towel now." I felt more determined than angry.

"Your resolve is admirable as always, Touko," N smiled at me, clearly amused by my drive. "I will stand beside you no matter what. Although, I'd like to provide more aid to the Pokémon instead of the people…"

"I think our goals will intertwine at some point then," I grinned before stretching my arms over my head. "Let's just sleep on it and try to sort things out in the morning, okay?" I gave his bare back a slap. "And I think you're in need of a shower…"

N looked ruffled by my comment for a moment there; almost as if he was saying _I don't really stink that much do I?_ But he headed off to the bathroom while I buried myself beneath the blankets.

This was actually the first time I had slept in a real bed since leaving the castle, and it was heaven. I slowly faded into slumber as the patter of the shower lulled me into oblivion. Before I lost consciousness, I remembered something that Fennel had said to me. The professor had mentioned some odd term when N and I first came to her home. What was it now…? Was it something about a building…? A factory? I couldn't put my finger on the word, and finally I drifted off as N finished his shower and crawled into the covers beside me.

* * *

><p>When morning had arrived, I made my way downstairs. I followed the scent of cooking breakfast all the way to the kitchen where Amanita and Fennel were there to greet me.<p>

"Morning, Touko!" Fennel said rather cheerily as she peered out from behind the morning paper. "Come have a seat! I hope you like bacon an' eggs, cause we got plenty!" She was acting a bit too jolly considering the unsettling scene we'd all witnessed yesterday.

Her attitude seemed peculiar. "… Uh, yeah," I tried to force out as smile as I took a seat across from the professor. Fennel brought back up her wall of newspaper and continued to read while taking occasional sips of coffee.

"Is mister N not up yet?" Amanita inquired with a glance over her shoulder. She was bent over the stove, sizzling strips of bacon on a cast-iron pan.

"Ah, no. He's still sleeping, so I figured I should let him have his rest…" I said rather sheepishly.

"A bit of java could wake him up," Fennel said, wiggling her coffee mug in the air with a mischievous smile. "How about you, Touko? You look like you could use a jump start!"

I put up my hands quickly, "Oh! No-no thank you. Coffee's not… really my thing, you know." I tried to decline as politely as possible. For one thing, I really didn't want to intrude too much on these people who had so graciously offered to conceal N and I from Team Plasma, especially since they knew about all the trouble they'd be put through if they were found out. I didn't want to take more than I should from them. But besides that, I wasn't lying, I can't stand coffee. It's far too bitter for my liking.

Fennel let the subject drop with a shrug just as Amanita brought over my meal and set my plate down before me. I stared at the steaming food for a moment in deep thought.

"Miss Fennel?" I said, grabbing my fork and poking the gooey center of my eggs.

"Yes?" The cheeriness had dropped from her voice for some reason. Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe the wall of newspaper was just muffling her tone.

"What's happened to the Striaton gym leaders?" I tried not to sound hesitant. "Where are they now? Are they taking steps against what Team Plasma has done?"

Fennel didn't put down her newspaper and I noticed Amanita give her older sister a nervous glance. I heard N clomp down the stairs as I tried to get the professor to talk.

The scientist didn't need another prompt from me; she quickly slapped her newspaper down on the table and stared me down with unsettling seriousness just as N walked through the kitchen door.

"Why do you want to know that, Touko?" The professor asked me with unnerving calmness in her voice.

I was taken aback by her question. Wasn't it obvious? "Maybe they can help us to get rid of Team Plasma," I made a vague waving gesture, "and maybe… you know, get the people of this town to stop listening to those broadcasts and do something!"

N remained standing at the doorway, watching the conversation with interest, waiting for Fennel's response. The scientist continued to analyze me with a dead-serious air while Amanita scraped the food around on the pan with her spatula nervously.

Fennel broke the silence with a swift sigh, "I guess there's no use hiding it from you now." The professor pulled herself up, leaving her morning paper and half finished breakfast aside. "You two need to come with me," she continued, pointing at N and I.

We shared a confused glance as the professor scooched passed us and headed back towards the staircase. We figured it best not to question her, so we simply followed the scientist as she lead us up all the way to the roof of the complex.

I shuddered against the frigid air, hugging my arms around my body to try and conserve some warmth. I was still in my pajamas for Arceus sake. "Miss Fennel!" I tried to shout out against a gust of wind which rammed right into us upon exiting the building, "Why'd you bring us all the way up here? Miss Fennel?!"

The professor stood near the far end of the building, ignoring what I had said as she stared at the rising sun which had just made its way over the horizon of evergreens. Even after a few moments passed, she did not acknowledge me for some reason. Had my voice been lost in the wind?

I glanced at N to see his take on things; maybe he had some inkling to what was going on. N's eyes were locked on the professor with suspicion. He watched her with an uneasy frown, as if she might turn on us and attack. N's heightened guard unsettled me a little bit, but I knew it was ridiculous. Fennel wouldn't just attack us for no reason, especially after she had done so much to help us. I was about to ask her again, why she brought us up here, but my words were cut short by her sudden movement.

The professor brought her arm up and pointed towards the horizon. She asked, "Do you see that?"

What I saw defied reality itself. Some dark monster of pipes and metal was looming over the distant wall of pine trees on the outskirts of town. The building was colossal, yet stout and wide in design. Rows upon rows of glass eyes glistened upon its surface, catching the sunlight. A quintet of black towers jut out from the structure like horns, dominating the sky, raising their blackened fists high into the air. A soft pink mist spewed from the tops of those towers and drifted out slowly into the orange sky. The building looked so sinister, so malevolent, I couldn't find the words to ask Fennel what it was.

The professor turned towards the both of us and answered our thoughts, "Dream Factory."

I stared at the scientist wide-eyed, "W-what is…?"

"They are factories that have been erected in many cities and towns all over Unova. They utilize the Dream Mist that is produced from both Munna and Musharna to project dreams unto the citizens of the region." Fennel crossed her arms and leant back, "Are you familiar with how Munna's Dream Mist works, how it affects the human mind and body?"

"I…" my breath was caught. I shook my head by lack of words.

"It has the power to bring people's dreams to life in a sort of—" she waved her hand, "—illusory reality. The power of the Dream Smoke is miraculous on its own, and could have destructive potential if used by the wrong hands. But Team Plasma has made their own altercations to the Dream Smoke."

"How so…?" N asked, voice on edge.

Fennel pointed to the five smokestacks which rose from the stout body of the factory. "Team Plasma has added their own compounds and chemicals to the mist, changing its properties and effects but keeping composition and structure relatively the same." Fennel turned to us. The rising sunlight caught the lenses of her glasses, and obscured her eyes with a gleam. "They are pumping out small amounts of altered Dream Mist from that factory," she pointed to the plumes of pink smoke which gushed from the high towers. "It's melding into the air, as you can see. The mist is drifting over the town as we speak. It is almost invisible to the naked eye, but that doesn't change the fact that it's being ingested by every single person in this city."

"Then what…" I almost couldn't finish my question, because I held dread for the inevitable answer. But I had to know. "What does the Dream Mist do… after it's been breathed in!?"

"When ingested, the altered Dream Smoke from that factory enters the brain and implants a subconscious message inside. It tells the recipient to hate Pokémon," Fennel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Have you ever heard of those advertisements, usually ones which showcase food, that show a hidden message within them that makes the viewer crave their product? It's called subliminal messaging, or subliminal stimuli. It's sensory manipulation which is usually beyond the limits of one's conscious perception. The altered Dream Mist works in the same way, but on a chemical level. The people don't know it's being done to them, but the more they breathe it in, the more the suggestion grows. They are being subconsciously told to hate and be repulsed by Pokémon, in addition, they're also being told to fully obey and fully submit to everything Team Plasma without question." Fennel looked out over the town, "That's why they didn't listen to you when you tried to rally them on Route One, Touko. They'll only listen to what Team Plasma and N say, the eternal gods you both witnessed on that screen."

She caught her hair in the breeze. A deep chugging travelled with the wind and carried over the rooftops of the town. Some machine inside of that building was gurgling, echoing out from where it perched over the city like some sort of sentinel. If my memory held true, then this building was located right where the Dreamyard used to be. Ruin replaced by iron bones…

It was hard to pry my eyes off of the factory, but I couldn't stop myself from taking a glance at N. I needed to know what he was feeling. If the overwhelming terror building in my gut was a mutual feeling held between us. I'd been right. His expression was a pure manifestation of both terror and disbelief, the mirror image of my own horrified gaze. His eyes were captured, just like they had been by that screen yesterday; his sight locked onto the factory's mammoth body. I'd seen enough. I hated seeing N look so crushed, so ripped apart, because he thought the reason the Dream Factory existed was because of him. There wasn't only shock in his eyes… there was guilt.

"Do you understand now, Touko? Why your pleas have fallen on deaf ears?" Fennel said directly, drawing my eyes back over to her.

"But I haven't—!" I blurted, trying to form the words through shock. "I haven't felt this way! I haven't felt manipulated or hypnotized into hating my Pokémon! I still love them and want to be with them… I…"

"The effects are gradual, Touko. You've only been here a few days, so it'll take some time for full effects of the mist to sink in," her voice was grave. "But it'll hunt you down too. Even now you're breathing it in; it's entering your body as you speak. With each breath you take." She pointed at me, "Maybe you've noticed an increase in headaches? A slightly nauseous feeling? A faint metallic smell or taste? Those are all signs of the Dream Mist creeping into your body. The headaches are a sign of rejection, since your body isn't used to the presence of the mist. But you'll both grow accustomed to it, create a tolerance, just like everyone else has. Soon enough, you'll fall victim, and you won't be able to realize that you've been ensnared."

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach. "There is… there's… no way that's possible…" I couldn't believe what she was telling me; all the things she said seemed to ludicrous, so insane!

Fennel gestured towards the factory which continued with its work. "Believe it or not, Touko, this is the furthest thing from a dream."

"But the Pokémon!" N suddenly found his voice. "What's happening to them?"

Fennel shrugged, "The mist works a bit differently for Pokémon. Though they may not feel a strong hatred for people, they will feel depressed and lack the desire to break down the walls that encase them on the routes. Team Plasma doesn't have to worry about manipulating the Pokémon too much. Their goal is to keep people and Pokémon separated, and as long as the Pokémon are quarantine, then they have nothing to worry about."

"…How?" Fennel turned to me questioningly, "How could this… have happened? How could anyone let this happen!? I mean, if people know what that… _thing_… is for, then why don't they go against it and try and shut it down!?"

Fennel let out a breath of air, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "It's easier than you may think. You see, Team Plasma continually claim that Pokémon are wretched beasts that will do nothing but destroy and cause chaos if they're allowed to roam free."

"That's ridiculous!" N barked, "Pokémon aren't like that at all, they…"

"I know that." Fennel cut in with enough force to shut him up. "But if you're told it, again and again, conditioned to believe that its truth, then lies can be turned into reality."

"That's what Team Plasma does?" I glanced quickly to the broadcast tower in town square, which rose above the surrounding buildings, screen still glaring as if it never slept. "That's what the screen is for?"

The professor nodded. "The people are manipulated into thinking that Pokémon only exist to destroy and kill. The people start to get scared and panic. They're blinded by fear and made weak as a result. Team Plasma build those factories and erect those walls and claim that it's to keep the Pokémon away and keep the citizens safe in turn. The reality of it all is much different. The Dream Mist will keep people and Pokémon eternally apart. This is good news for Team Plasma for, without weapons to fight with, Team Plasma can never be thrown from power. Especially not when the Dream Smoke tells the citizens to unconditionally love everything that Team Plasma says or does, even if it is all rubbish. But it doesn't matter to them. The citizens won't question what they're being told. They're content so why should they complain? No one here wants to be saved, but that's because they don't' think they have anything to be saved from. They're safe in their paradise as far as they're concerned."

I held myself even tighter against the wind as a sudden realization dawned. Back on Route One when I tore down the walls and tried to set the Pokémon free… just what exactly did I look like to them? What did I appear to be… in the eyes of those people? What would I have seen if I were in there shoes? The monster… I must have been…

I felt like I was about to vomit.

"You see, it doesn't matter how much you try and say it, these people aren't going to believe anything you say," she jerked her thumb towards the factory, "and as long as that thing is around, nobody, not even the gym leaders, are going to help you."

Reality was blurry and amorphous for long minutes after her explanation had finished. I numbed out all that was around me only to focus on what I'd been told. I no longer noticed the cold wind, the chugging of the Dream Factory; I hardly even noticed the presences of N and Fennel beside me. But even after I had numbed out the world, the reality of what I'd been told was still hard to grasp. It felt like some sort of sick dream. I even expected myself to wake up back in my bed. But of course that wasn't going to happen. There's no way I'm that lucky. No matter how much I wanted to deny it… I couldn't.

I couldn't talk or respond. I walked like a zombie back into her apartment, following Fennel blindly as she led us back to the kitchen.

Amanita smiled at us half-heartedly as we entered through the flap doors. "Mister N, your breakfast." She made a small motion to where she had set his plate. He only responded by sitting down and staring unblinkingly at his steaming food. He was too absorbed in his thoughts to even hear what Amanita said; he might not have even realized there was food in front of him. I was in a similar state of mind. All I could do was sit back down at the table and stare as every thought wound through my head, over and over. On the other hand, Fennel strolled casually into the kitchen, took a seat and brought up her morning paper again.

She jiggled her cup in the air, "Amanita. I need another refill please."

"Yes, sis."

Amanita began to fill the professor's cup with black liquid.

"I still want to find the gym leaders."

Amanita and Fennel froze, looks of bewilderment etched on their faces. Even N withdrew from his stupor to give me a questioning glance. I found it rather irritating that none of them were taking me seriously.

"You still think they can help?" The professor asked, unconvinced.

"Well… it doesn't hurt to try!"

"I think you're crazy." Fennel said quite bluntly, and Amanita agreed with a silent nod. "But if you still think you can change something… then I'll do whatever I can to help you."

My spirits brightened, "R-really?! Thank you so much, Miss Fennel!"

"Yeah, yeah," she waved my gratitude away humbly. "Just don't get yourselves caught… or killed."

"Certainly not, miss!" I grinned.

"Alright, alright, just finish your darn breakfast," the professor sighed, then added with a mumble, "kids these days."

* * *

><p>"Ouch!"<p>

"…Sorry…"

"Ouch!"

"Please be still, Touko. This is very delicate work," Amanita said, plucking another eyebrow from my head.

"This feels more like torture—ow!" I grumbled.

"Tough!" Fennel barked as she strode through the doorway with a box in her arms. "If the two of you are going to be walking around out there then…" she let out a labored grunt, slamming the box on the living room table, "you're going incognito."

"So that's why you're tearing my eyebrows out by the roots? Ouch!" I growled as Amanita ripped another hair loose, following her action with a quick apology.

"Precisely!" Fennel sneered as she began to dig through her mysterious box, pulling out clothes and supplies. "We don't have much… so we're going to have to be creative here." She paused for a moment as she pulled out an old ripped pair of jeans, seeming to be lost in the past. "Hey, N!" she piped suddenly.

N continued to stand at the window, peering through the blinds secretively like he was doing reconnaissance or something. I don't think he even heard a word that the professor said. It was a bit unfortunate for him, since she threw an old shoe right at his head to get him to pay attention.

Amanita got out some sort of makeup brush and started sweeping it all over my face. I had to cringe. This isn't what I had in mind when I decided to seek out the gym leaders; the last thing I wanted was to get all gooped up. N seemed to share my mindset as Fennel ordered him to remove all his key chains and bracelets and other things that could signify his identity.

Fennel cupped her chin with her hand as she analyzed him, "You're a tricky case…" she leant back, "since we can't really hide your features with makeup… or could we…?"

N brought up his hands, "Actually I…" he turned his gaze to the floor, "…maybe you could cut my hair off…?"

All three of us didn't expect him to say that and it showed.

N noticed our expressions and quickly explained, "Think about it for a second. Maybe I won't look so much like that man on the screen if you cut this ponytail off…" his eyes were downcast again. Having N differentiate himself from his replacement was a good idea. There weren't too many people walking around with hair colour like his. But something as simple as a hair cut seemed to mean a lot to N, and all of us knew it. This wasn't as simple as a mere change of style.

The professor was silent for a moment as she thought the prospect over.

"Alright then!" She said suddenly. "Get the scissors, Amanita!"

Amanita hopped up and headed off somewhere to retrieve said item. She seemed to be finished with my facial disguise anyway.

I watched N as Fennel sat him down in a chair and tied a table cloth loosely around his neck.

I grabbed a nearby mirror and took a look at Amanita's work, and honestly I was impressed. Though I was still recognizable, it took me a few seconds to actually discern that fact. My eyebrows were thinned right down; no surprise there. The makeup she placed on my face wasn't lathered on, instead it was artfully placed to accentuate certain areas of my face, almost altering them. She even placed a fake beauty mark under my eye, which I nearly smudged with curious prodding.

I turned to N and pointed to my face, "N! Look! Check it out!"

He looked my way and stared for a second before gasping, "Who are you and what have you done with Touko!?"

"Quit with the joking around!" Fennel barked over our laugher as Amanita walked in, staring at us curiously. "If you're caught by Team Plasma out there then it's game over." Our laughter faded after that sharp reality check. Even amidst this chaos was there no room for a little lighthearted joke?

Amanita handed the small, trimming scissors to her sister and Fennel prepared for the cut.

"Ready for this?" The professor asked, spreading the blades.

"Go ahead and do it," with that, Fennel snipped and N's untamed ponytail fell to the ground.

N turned around and peered over the chair, staring at the clump of hair for a moment before stating, "That was quick." He sighed, "The back of my neck feels cold now…"

Fennel cut a few snips off the back of his head, evening out the ends, erasing any trace that a ponytail used to be there, "We're just about done then. Feeling better?"

N turned to me with a weak smile, "How do I look? Any different from that person on the television?"

Something took a stab at my heart, and I tried my hardest to suppress a frown. "Yeah. You don't look anything like him."

* * *

><p>"How long are you gonna be out there for? Estimated time?" Fennel asked us as N and I slid on our boots.<p>

I paused, thinking it over. "Five hours, tops. We'll come right back after we figure out what's happened to the gym leaders."

An odd look crossed Fennel's features. She seemed a bit uncertain… anxious? "Sorry to mention it so late, but I probably won't be here by the time you get back."

"How come?" I asked her.

"Well," she pulled a half grin. "Believe it or not but I have a job to get to in a few hours. I work nights, and it's Monday starting today so my brief vacation has regretfully come to an end." She closed her eyes woefully.

N and I gave each other a look.

"But you don't have to worry about it," Fennel looked back up at us, "Amanita will be here to take care of you both. She's a grand cook so she can make you anything you'd like for dinner." Fennel nudged her sister good-heartedly, "Ain't that right?"

Amanita smiled shyly, "Um. Yes. Yes, I can do that."

I frowned, slightly disappointed, but once I realized I was making that face I quickly birthed a smile. "Alright. Well then, we'll be seeing you both later." I turned for the door and N made to open it.

"Take care," Fennel said seriously. "Keep your wits about you. Don't lower your guard even for a second, there are eyes everywhere in this city."

"Will do." I said, trying not to show that her last remark had me shaken.

"Come back safely," Amanita said before both N and I exited Fennel's house and walked out into the streets of Striaton City.

The wind made its presence clear by weaving through our clothes and pinching at our skin. As a rebuttal, I pulled my army-green trench coat up over my chin and scrunched my shoulders together against the wind. N echoed my actions, and shoved his hands deep into the gray hoodie that Fennel had lent him. We weren't thrilled about having to walk all the way across town, on a day as cold as this, to get to the Pokémon Gym—or what was left of it, but beggars can't be choosers and all that. Walk we must.

The people strolling through the streets seemed to feel just the same about being out here. Luckily, we hadn't been recognized or identified by the citizenry yet. Actually, the people who walked by hardly even glanced in our direction. They only seemed concerned about where they were walking and how they were getting there, and even then they had permanent scowls on their faces. They just shuffled by, contorting their bodies against a cruel wind. The body language of these people was unfriendly, even a bit hateful to say the least, and it radiated.

I thought back to what Fennel had said about the Dream Factory's mist. I followed the people's actions as I thought, glaring at the sidewalk. Did the Dream Mist not only destroy these peoples' desire to fight, but did it make them bitter and spiteful towards each other as well? I didn't want to think of it. I simply continued to stomp over the faded Plasma emblem which was carved into each block of the sidewalk.

I removed my eyes from my feet, but looking forward wasn't any better. No matter how far the two of us walked, the smokestacks of the Dream Factory were always visible, protruding from the tree line—belching its noxious mist into the sky. Even the mounted tower of the converted Pokémon Center was always leering down at us with its blazing white eye. I hated it and tried not to scowl, but it was hard, and not only five minutes after exiting Fennel's house I had become akin to the angry people who walked the streets.

"Are you okay?" I heard N muffle beside me. We were heading into town square. I found it odd that he was asking me that, since I figured N would be more uneasy up about entering this place than I was. "We'll be there soon."

I side-glanced him, "Let's just take a little break at that fountain over there. My legs are already frozen."

N muffled a weak laugh before pulling his blue-plaid scarf down from his mouth, letting out a puff of steam, "Okay. My legs are cold too."

The both of us sat down in the town square right on the bowl of a fountain as we watched the people walk by. The shining screen above observed our actions. It seemed to be showing some kind of sales figures; the rate of stocks and metals or something like that. I felt depressed looking at the thing, since it kept reminding me of yesterday, so I watched the pool of water beneath me ripple the superimposed image of the sky.

There weren't a lot of people walking around town square, which made sense I guess considering how cold it was. In fact, the amount of traffic that drifted by on nearby streets was more numerous than that of the citizens here. I wouldn't have paid too much attention to the traffic, since it wasn't too out of the ordinary, if it wasn't for the sight of these strange black trucks I saw rolling by.

They were stout, yet wide, imposing and turtle-like in appearance. They were completely black, no colours; no license plates. There wasn't even a logo or insignia that confirmed they were under Team Plasma's control, but I figured there was no one else those vessels could be serving. The only thing that really set them apart was a string of four or so numbers at the back of the truck where the license plate should have been. They crawled by slowly, almost as if patrolling: watching. The very sight of them made me uneasy. How vulgar they looked. How their tinted windows hid the faces of those who drove the vehicle, if there even were drivers. What were they? What were they sent out to do? The conclusion I settled upon was that these trucks must be the guards from the Dream Factory, making sure that order was kept, and no dissent would arise.

I bumped my sunglasses up the bridge of my nose which tinted the city around me and the people and vehicles that moved through it. I let out a shudder as I glared them down from behind my glasses, where they couldn't see my eyes. It could have been the Dream Smoke, or maybe it was a normal human reaction, but I felt overwhelmingly bitter and loathful. What was it?

I couldn't really contemplate long. N surprised me by moving closer to my body, a little too close actually. I glanced at him in question only to find him staring intently at a group of Plasma guards which had just entered the square.

I buried my face into the collar of my jacket, stifling a curse.

"Just be calm," N whispered beside me. I could feel his breath heating the hood on my head. "Just act like you don't have anything to hide."

Right. Act casual. That was easier said than done.

My spirits did settle a great deal when I noticed that the group of soldiers was just making their usual run over of the square, at least that's what it looked like. Though there was something about them that seemed off; they were acting a bit too vigilant for a regular patrol. That thought alone had my heart thumping, and I hadn't even realized it but my breathing had become rapid. N reached over and gave my arm a squeeze in an attempt to calm me down. I slammed my lips shut and waited for the soldiers to leave. They finally took off a few minutes later, and N and I found it best not to linger and head straight to Striaton's Gym.

Striaton City grew more run down the further we walked towards its borders. The streets grew absent of angry citizens and were replaced by shady characters that leered at us from the shadows of alleyways; drunkards walked ponderously about, rambling and raving with unintelligible slurs. There were even some people lying motionless in alleys, wearing clothes far too thin for this kind of weather. I wondered if they were even alive. I wanted to go check, to see if I could help them, but N advised against it. He said we should just head towards our destination and not bother with anything else. I didn't like his cold attitude, but I had to admit that he was right. Figures in the alleyways could easily be more dangerous than friendly. It was best to play it safe and continue through this run down portion of the town to where the Gym was waiting.

We reached the Gym without any further disturbances, and what we saw, though expected, still came as a shock. The building was in ruin. The Striaton Pokémon Gym wasn't as depilated as my house in Nuvema Town, no, it was still held together pretty well. But neon graffiti coated the red bricked cathedral, winding around in illegible scrawls—though I could make out a bit of colourful words placed here and there. The symbol of the once proud Pokémon League swung with a noisy creek above the doorway, ready to fall off its hinges at a moment's notice. The building lay nestled in a row of other equally ruined homes. I figured the buildings that surrounded the Gym were empty, uninhabited, but when I glanced in some of their shattered windows, I could have sworn I'd seen people staring back at me. When I looked again they were gone.

"It's abandoned," N stated.

It took me a minute to respond. The building was an eyesore, and it was pretty painful to see this once grand place hunched over as if in pain. But nothing would surprise me after Nuvema, "…The Gym leaders could still be inside." But even I wasn't convinced by my own words. "I mean…" A frown distorted my features, "It doesn't hurt to check, okay?"

I stomped towards the gaping front door, stepping over a snoozing drunk on my way. The guy was just sitting over the front steps, leaning on a broken handrail, snoring loud as anything and utterly reeking of alcohol. I wondered how long he'd be sitting there before he was apprehended, or simply decided to walk away on his own. Something about the guy depressed me, and made me a bit angry too. Was that all there was to his life now?

I discarded the thoughts as I walked through the Pokémon Gym's empty front gate. N followed close behind as we proceeded into the gloom. The power seemed to be out for some reason, which only further solidified N's thoughts about this place being empty. But I had a weird feeling that maybe we weren't alone. Maybe there was someone still living here. I just hoped they wouldn't want to kill us when we found them.

Striaton's Gym was also vulgar on the inside. By lack of a front door, the elements had taken a substantial toll on the lobby of this restaurant-themed building. The rugs we walked over were soggy, and squished beneath our feet. The wallpaper had been washed of its warm colours, and was left damaged and lifeless.

I squinted hard, "Man… I can't see a thing." I dug into my bag and pulled out a flashlight to guide our way—another helpful thing that Miss Fennel had packed with us before we had set out.

N didn't seem too keen on the idea of walking around with this beaming ray of light, because it was sure to be a clear announce to anyone that we were here. But we weren't going anywhere without it, at least not without falling all over ourselves in the dark.

The floor beyond the front lobby generously turned to wood, which quelled the sickening squelching beneath our feet, instead replacing it with a soft clomp. The ground floor of this building was comprised of one large room, which stretched all the way back to the end of the building. I remembered this room being sectioned off by three large curtains in the past: one of grass, fire and water. These curtains had long ago been stolen or viciously marred after years of neglect. It left the whole area feeling so spacious and empty.

N and I proceeded forward, maneuvering around all of the upturned tables and broken chairs that scattered the Gym floor. We had to be especially careful of the broken shards of glass or tableware that lay scattered about—it was sure to be unpleasant if we stepped on one of those. But we saw no signs of life as we continued forward.

Right when we were about to reach the back of the room, which lead to the gym leader's chamber, N grabbed my shoulder and whispered, "Touko. Turn that light off."

I gave him a questioning look which he ignored. N stared directly ahead as if he had seen something. I listened and turned the flashlight off with a click, shrouding us in darkness. The light that poured in from the front door couldn't reach all the way back here which added a whole new layer to the gloom. I looked forward to see if I could spot what N was looking at so intently, but saw nothing.

"N… I don't see…" I was interrupted by a sudden gesture; N pointed out before him towards the back of the room. It took me a minute to see it, for my eyes were adjusting, but there was an unmistakable glow emanating from the back of the room, flickering from behind a musty curtain. Someone, or something, was there!

I looked at N, asking him with a gaze, _friend or foe?_

He shook his head, telling me that he didn't know. And since neither of us knew, there was only one way to find out. I walked towards the light with a heart pounding in my chest. As I drew closer and closer, a gap opened up in the moth-bitten wall that had been erected. I could see a circular table… and around it were three figures.

With one swift movement, I parted the gap and entered through the curtain. The three Striaton gym leaders sat huddled at a table amidst ruin, slowly pouring each other a cup of mint scented tea. All three of their heads swiveled towards me upon my entrance and they stared us down defensively.

"Who are you then!?" The fire-type trainer, Chili, asked angrily.

"Team Plasma again?" Cilan, the grass-type trainer, questioned with a depressed moan, "I thought we already paid them rent this month?"

Cress, the water type trainer, watched the two of us as we drew closer, his eyes suddenly flashing in realization. He shot up, toppling his chair with his movements, startling his brothers. "I can't believe it…" he gawped, sounding more angry then surprised.

Chili and Cilan turned their attention towards the two of us, curious to what had set their brother off.

"It's Touko," Cress practically seethed.

I hesitantly banished both my glasses, hood and scarf, revealing my features, showing them who I really am. N on the other hand just stood behind me with his hood pulled up tightly around his head: observing.

"Touko?" Chili snapped with unexpected venom. "What the hell are you doing here?!" The redhead fumed.

I put up my arms defensively, not really expecting such a violent reaction from the trinity of brothers. "Settle down! I just want to talk to you guys!"

They didn't look too convinced, and I could see Chili preparing to launch another string of questions at me in a blind rage. Cilan could see it too and he put a hand over his brother's chest, not breaking eye contact with me as he did so. "Let's just hear her out." He nodded my way, "If you will."

I didn't waste time with hesitation, "I wanna know... why aren't you guys fighting against Team Plasma?"

There expressions were of shock.

Cress scoffed, "That's what you wanted to ask us? That's what you came all the way out here for?" The bitterness in his voice struck a nerve.

"Well, yeah! Why not?! You three are gym leaders! You shouldn't just sit around and let Team Plasma build those Dream Factories and do this to everyone!" Their glares seemed to intensify the more I went on until Chili finally interrupted me with a fiery outburst.

"You don't think we know that!?" The redhead snapped, "But what do you think we can do?!"

"Fight back!" His anger was infectious and I was already getting agitated by his pigheadedness. "Get off your asses and do something!"

"It's hopeless," Cilan said, lowering his gaze. "We know, Touko. Trust me, we do. Team Plasma's presence has left a very bitter taste over our town and the whole region. But to fight back is to die, you understand."

"That's the truth," Cress agreed with a caress of his raindrop-like bangs. "Any act of rebellion would just be an invitation for them to kill us further."

"That's right." Chili huffed, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly and flopping back down on his rickety chair, "If we can't win then there's no point in fighting back. We're alive now, we just wanna live the rest o' our days here without bein' bothered." His brothers nodded in consent.

"But that's…" My words dropped, "You're just giving up? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Cress regarded me with a chilling glare, "You're one to talk about fighting back. You're the root cause of all this."

I was unable to form another word.

"If you hadn't lost then Team Plasma would never have done this!" Chili growled.

_That's right…_

Cilan avoided looking at me, almost as if out of shame, "We have no desire to help you. It would be much better if you… um, left us now."

What they said was true. If I had never lost to Ghetsis none of this would have happened. Even so, perhaps if I had acted sooner, if I hadn't wallowed in self pity for so long… then I could have stopped the Dream Factories from ever being built. But I hadn't. I hadn't done anything. The people who had become robots, the people who rotted in the alleyways, the despair that encroached this nation, all of that was my fault.

My ears rung. My head began to throb. My tongue tasted like iron; my throat felt like it was closing.

I was about to lose it then and there; the unforgiving glares that the Striaton brothers were giving me didn't help matters any, and I was about to let the malaise get a foothold. But N suddenly stomped over, banishing his hood as he approached and shouted, "At least Touko is doing something!"

The brothers gaped at N in shock. Whether they were surprised of his identity or of the words he spoke, I'll never know.

"Instead of sitting here and waiting for things to change on their own, Touko is making the effort to change the world now. Things won't change on their own, and the three of you know that!" The Striaton brothers glared daggers at N as he went on, each word seeming to make them angrier. "You're being controlled by fear."

"Now the king of the bloody nation is lecturing us?" Cress spat.

"You have no right to speak to us about what is right and wrong!" Cilan accused with an angry jab of his finger. "You're as much to blame, if not even more so, than Touko is!"

Chili picked up a tea cup and whipped it at us with a curse. Luckily his aim was off, and it shattered harmlessly behind us.

"You're wrong!" I tried to defend N as best I could, only now finding my voice again. "The N on the TV yesterday was a fake… it's…" The former gym leaders weren't buying a word of what I said, and I was about to continue on when N placed his arm before me: silencing me.

"You're right," he said to the elemental brothers. "I was the king who erected tyranny in this nation. These people and Pokémon are suffering because of me, because of my inability to decide for myself…" It sounded as if he was trying to hold back tears, but the determination in his voice drowned that out. "I will change the world that Team Plasma has formed… because no one else is brave enough to do it." N turned his back on the scene then and raced towards the entrance as the gym leaders booed him away.

I wanted to stay longer and try to get the gym leaders to hear us out but it seemed my efforts would be futile, so I followed N quickly. I found him again at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the front gate. He was staring up at the Dream Factory's towers with smoldering eyes; a fiery gaze that challenged death itself.

He turned to me and said, "Touko. Please help me dismantle this repugnant place."

I need only stare in those unfaltering eyes for a moment before grinning eagerly.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's do it!"


	12. Intruders!

"Cress?" Cilan ducked his head through the curtain.

Cress was settled at their only remaining tea table, right where he'd last been. It was the only table the leaders had managed to salvage from Team Plasma's invasion so long ago, and even then it was in poor condition, rickety, filthy. The man in question took a short sip from his tea before responding, "What is it, brother?" The former water type gym leader was put in a foul mood because of Touko and N's unexpected visit, and it was clearly heard in his voice. The things they were saying… to rebel against Team Plasma… there's no way that could still be possible… And during the length of their outlandish ploy of ideas the freshly brewed tea had become cold.

Cilan took a wide glance around the enclosure, "I can't find Chili anywhere!"

Cress nearly choked on his drink.

Cilan passed through the curtain door and rested his chin on his hand, clearly in thought. "I know he was here just a moment ago," he began to shift his weight from one foot to the other, "and I worry if he's maybe… well, um… if he's taken what Touko and N had said to heart."

"Are you sure that he is gone? Is he not somewhere in the building? Then again…" Cress turned to his brother with a steely gaze, setting his cracked tea cup back on the table. "This is Chili we're talking about. Acting with haste certainly is one of his traits…"

"Hey! I heard that!"

Both brothers' heads whipped around suddenly to find Chili ducking through the gap in the curtains, carrying an old suitcase in his arms.

Cress squinted confusedly at the suitcase for a moment before recollection the hit. He sprung from his chair and pointed, baffled, "…That!" Cress knew exactly what was in that case, though he'd wished never to remember.

Cilan took a closer look at the suitcase, it was hard to identify in the dimly light, but it didn't take him long to recognize what it was as well. He stumbled back from his red-headed brother, shock in his eyes.

"What on earth are you doing with that thing!" Cress snapped viciously, "I thought that we had thrown those things away years ago!"

Chili stared bitterly at the ground, "…I was just… Well I couldn't." He frowned, "I couldn't bring myself to throw them away."

"I can't believe this! Don't tell me you've been holding onto them all this time!" Cress threw up his arms. "Do you realize how much trouble we could get in if we're caught those things!" he jutted his finger towards the case which Chili clenched protectively.

"I don't care about that!" Chili barked, but quickly reined his anger with a calming breath. Even he knew that bickering would get them nowhere. "Do things really have to stay this way? Is it really alright to just give up?…What if what Touko and N were saying… is actually…?"

"I guess…" Cilan interrupted his brother's thoughts, slowly recovering from his initial astonishment. "I suppose it can't hurt to take a quick look. Just to see how they've been doing all this time." The smallest of smiles found its way onto his face.

Chili immediately shook from his hesitance and raced over to the table and placed the suitcase down as gently as he could.

"We'll just take a quick look," Cilan said to Cress, who had his arms folded over his chest in refusal.

"Yeah, Cress! Don't be a sourpuss!" Chili shouted over, "You act like you don't wanna see them, but it's clear as day that you really do!"

"What do you say?" Cilan asked with a soft smile.

Cress glanced to where both of his brothers stood. Chili had his fingers hovering anxiously over the latches and looked expectantly to his elder brother. Cress gave a sigh of defeat. Even though he hated to admit it, they were right.

"A-Alright then, but just a peek. And be quick about it, we can't afford to get caught."

The former Striaton gym leaders huddled around the suitcase. Chili unbuckled the latches with an almost inaudible click and opened up the case to reveal a triad of Pokéballs resting inside.

.

.

Chapter 12

**Intruders! **(…_inject infection into the beast_)

.

The smokestacks of the Dream Factory rose higher into the sky as we approached. The grinding of machinery that echoed from the building grew louder and rumbled beneath my feet. The Dream Smoke that spewed from the chimney tops filled the sky and blotted out the sun. The clouds melded together into an undefined wall, and the deadly smoke dyed the world a faint hue of pink. N and I lay hidden in the underbrush. For some lucky reason, the forests around the Dream Factory weren't blocked or fenced off. It must have been one of those unfenced areas that Fennel had told us about prior; there were no Pokémon here, and I understood why. The trees we slunk past were either all dying or already dead. Branches were bare, blackened, curled in upon themselves like fingers clenched. The immediate conclusion that I reached was that the altered Dream Mist must have been killing them. The forests hugged close to the imposing building, subjected to the mist twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. After a battering like that, the forest didn't have the will to go on any longer. Pine trees shed their spiny thorns, bright leaves wilted and turned brittle, their remains crunched against our feet; any greenery left in the forest was browning and slowly on its way to death. The people in Striaton who breathed this mist every day… were their bodies reacting in the same way somewhere deep down? The reaction in humans must have been different. The people I saw in the streets had no outward deformities or wounds from this mist… but somewhere deep down decay was marching.

Because of the lack of cover, N had drawn Laika out to hide us with her illusory powers, to blend us into the surrounding branches and keep our approach concealed. Hopefully, no one would be able to see through it. Usually I wouldn't question Laika's abilities, but I'd already seen the impossible and wasn't bound to rule anything out yet.

The chugging that vibrated through the air only grew louder as we walked. The sound, which was akin to the gnashing of giant metal teeth, was painful in my ears. It caused them to throb and ring, and I was sure they were on the borderline of bleeding. The sound drove me mad. As a feeble resistance, and without any earplugs, I resorted to shoving my fingers in my ears and screaming _la-la-la_ until my throat ran sore. But even that did not work. Over the sound of my humming, the ringing persisted, and the rumbling of the machinery shook through my bones. My ears were screeching, and I then felt animalistically inclined to rip my own ears off. They were frightening thoughts; I was startled by the notion. Why would I begin to think such macabre things? But as I thought it over, I warmed to the idea. If I clawed my ears off, then at least I wouldn't have to deal with this wretched ringing over and over. Right?

I didn't get that far. Somehow, I found it in me to box those primal urges, and in lieu of something more harmful, I pinched at my ear lobes and hummed melodies to keep myself steady.

While walking, I forced down a sigh and scrunched up my nose. In addition to that ringing, the scent of the Dream Mist was thick in the air. It was grainy and heavy, like a pollen or smoke, and you can imagine that my nose would have none of it. With a pause, I stifled my fourth sneeze of the minute, and rubbed the excess off on my sleeve. Despite all the snorting I did, the coin-like smell of the smoke did not leave my nose. It clung to the hairs, crawled up the sinuses and pinched at my brain. My eyes couldn't help but water, and they ran so much it made me look like I was crying. This must be what people with extreme allergies have to contend with.

I coughed, hacked, sneezed, cried, pulled at my ears, tugged at my hair, but nothing seemed to make it any better, and it only got worse the closer we came. Fear began to build within me. I had to stop. What exactly was this Dream Mist doing to me?

"Touko." I looked up to see N stopped a few feet in front of me, hand against a tree to keep himself steady. "Are you alright?" he asked, pausing to cough in his sleeve. His eyes were just as red and watering as mine, and his skin had become a pasty color.

I smiled at him weakly. I croaked, "We should head back. I feel just as bad as the tress look around here."

N smirked and turned forward. "We must keep going. We are almost at the perimeter of the Dream Factory."

I frowned, "And… if we pass out before we get there?"

"We'll just have to make it there before that happens," he looked up at Laika and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Shall we continue?"

His question was clearly meant for the Zoroark. Laika looked better than the both of us did, but that wasn't saying much. Her eyes were clearer, unclouded, but she was trembling and on edge.

We walked on, and true to N's assurance, we wound up right below the Dream Factory in less than a minute. The three of us halted in collective shock. Laika's eyes were skyward; she watched the smokestacks with both intrigue and fear. Her gaze, along with N's and my own, were magnetized to the structure, and I noticed that Laika was looking at it not like a building, but more like a predator. All of us seemed to feel it in an odd, abstract way. It was like we were standing before a slumbering giant; a beast who would, if awakened, would not hesitate to crush us with a yawn.

There was silence for a time, only broken by the thunderous gurgling of that machine. I blinked away the tears in my eyes. "Well. We're here." I turned to N, "…What do we do now?"

The boy carried a strange look of unease in his eyes. N usually wasn't one to get freaked out, or even show that he was getting freaked out, but there was no use hiding it here. We all felt on edge in this place. "I'm not sure," he admitted.

"Well…" I looked down, "it's not like we can just stroll on in and demand a surrender."

He nodded, "There's no way it would be that easy." N looked at me, thumbing the tears on the corner of his eyes. "I suppose all we can hope to do is scan the perimeter and see how this factory is guarded, and if there's a way in which we can use to enter. Then we'll be able to construct a battle plan from that." His expression dropped somewhat as Laika gave a soft grunt and nudged him with her arm. N turned to his Pokémon curiously and peered through the thick brush she gestured towards. A moment later he said, "Though it won't be easy… getting passed that wall…"

I arched my eyebrow curiously before I followed his gaze into the undergrowth. I couldn't see it at first, but after a moment of squinting I noticed a steel wall standing in front of the factory, obstructing the real building from view. This wall was much different from the ones we'd seen back on Route One. This iron border was built with watch towers on each of its four corners, search lights which had powered on in the dusk, and curls of barbed wire that danced along the top of the wall. This was a clear deterrent to simply waltzing in and demanding a surrender.

"Great…" I grumbled. "More walls to deal with."

"Let's circle around and see if we can find an entrance," N said, keeping his eyes fixed on the structure. He gave Laika a quick pat on the shoulder, as if trying to soothe her. Only now at close range I could see how tense her muscles had become, how her fur was prickled and on edge, the fear in her eyes.

I agreed with N's proposition and the three of us began to circle the factory cautiously.

We got as close to the walls as we dared. Even with Laika's illusion for cover, we weren't confident enough to leave our meager shelter of trees and approach the walls head on. Even if the trees around us were thin and dead, the forest was thick enough to keep us obscured on the off chance that Laika's illusion would fall. We circled the building slowly, trying to find a kink in the armor of the iron womb. Maybe there was a spot along the walls where security was lessened? It was worth checking out.

We weren't so lucky. All four walls were completely unfaltering through the whole perimeter. There were no dents, nicks or cracks that could be used to break through. The walls stretched high and hid the bulk of the factory from sight, so even if we could find a way to break down the barrier, we had no idea what could be waiting for us inside. The security was so strong on the outside that I didn't even want to think about what was going on in there. There wasn't a spot we passed by that wasn't covered with some form of security. I figured the front perimeter would be much the same, maybe even more so. Who's to say that the front yard wasn't a mine field, or watched by snipers day in and day out? I dismissed the idea of using Rhoden to fly in. No attack on this fortress would go unawares. Rhoden was tough and quick, but even he wouldn't be able to fly though a shower of bullets.

I looked down as we walked. My footsteps crunched against grassless earth and swished the bodies of dead leaves around my feet. I wondered, was it possible to dig our way in? The option was certainly open, but judging from all of the armament and security that surrounded this place… cautionary measures had likely been taken for that as well. Who's to say that the wall didn't defend under the earth as well, and I was still alert to the mine idea. There could be all sorts of snares and booby traps around this place that we didn't even know of or couldn't even see. Precaution was something that we couldn't abandon in this scenario, holding hands with haste would get us killed.

This building was nothing but impenetrable, but I suppose the Dream Factory was built with that in mind. This was a wall that could not be knocked down.

After a fair bit of walking, the three of us reached what I suppose would be considered the front gates, and they were a sight to behold. We lay crouched in the bushes as we observed the entryway. The entry gates were a set of large, imposing doors, which stretched even higher than the accompanying wall did. Watch towers bordered the doors, and at their tops I could make out the figures of soldiers walking to and fro. There were even small groups of guards at the base of the door, all armed.

N tugged on my shoulder, "Something's coming".

I didn't have a moment to ask him what, when a large armored truck pulled up to the front gates. It was one of the unmarked trucks that I'd seen rolling around Striaton City.

"What do you think that's here for?" I asked under my breath as the vehicle came to a rumbling stop.

N paused, keeping his eyes locked on the guard's security check of the vessel. Possibly pondering if we could use the trucks as a mean to sneak in, "The Dream Factory could be the place where the vessels are stored."

"Could be. I wonder what the deal is with those." I began, but the truck was given the green-light before I could be answered. The front gates rumbled open.

It was then that N and I got our first good look at the facility called the Dream Factory. Seeing it up close brought forth a different feeling than the last time I saw it. Viewing it at a distance, I felt afraid but still in control, like looking at a deadly creature held captive inside a cage. It's behind bars; it can't hurt you, and one is able to marvel at its contained destructive nature. Here it was different. The cage was gone. The beast was free, looking me dead in the eye. I wasn't safe here. This iron creature could easily leap forward and crush my skull in its jaws.

That's what it was. The structure looked more like a monster than a machine. It lay crouched on the barren earth that was once the peaceful Dreamyard. It watched us with thousands of gleaming eyes, windows that lined the two storey building, one above the other, clenched together like teeth. It was stout and wide with a flattened roof to accommodate the smokestacks on its back, those of which looked like horns. It was made of nothing but black iron or steel, and maybe it was because of its colour, but I couldn't spot a single door on the structure, but there must have been one somewhere. We didn't get a chance to look very long. The truck didn't waste time and quickly slipped through the gates, before they were slammed shut again.

"It's not going to be easy… getting inside of that thing," N said after a pause. A slight shaking had caused his voice to falter, but I couldn't tell if he trembled because he was scared, like I was, or if he was just cold. Maybe it was a bit of both, but more prominently the latter.

"I don't think we can do it alone," I said to him, turning to look him straight in the eye. "I think we should ask Fennel for help."

N looked at me in surprise, but quickly recovered. He looked uncertainly at the wall and said, "Not here." We then slunk back into the woods and headed back towards the town. There wasn't much else we could do here. I followed him in question as we distanced ourselves from the factory. During our stroll back, N returned Laika to her Pokéball. It was probably best for her, because since she'd been let out, Laika had become very flighty and anxious, very uncommon behavior for the trickster. Her feelings were more than justified though. Even the strongest of creatures would crumple in the face of that building. I hoped that Laika would end up feeling better now that she was safe and sound inside of her Pokéball… or could the Dream Smoke get inside there as well?

We eventually came to a stop on the outskirts of town, hidden in the cover of the woods but still able to see the backs of neighbouring apartments whose windows had long ago been boarded.

N turned to face me. "Do you think that Miss Fennel will be willing to aid us?"

I frowned, "Why wouldn't she? I mean, by the sounds of it, she doesn't want that thing around anymore than we do."

N folded his arms and viewed the ground, clearly in thought, "I'm not so sure…"

"What do you mean?"

"Miss Fennel is a resident of this town as well. She's just as susceptible to the Dream Mist as anyone else here…"

"You think she's working for Team Plasma?" I squawked.

N put up his hands, looking nervously about, "Please keep your voice down. I'm simply saying that it's a possibility. I don't want to run the risk of her alerting the authorities to our plans…"

"Fennel wouldn't do that! Maybe you forgot, but she's the one who's been hiding us from Team Plasma this whole time! She'd want to help us, not send us to our graves," I didn't want to think what N was saying was right. Fennel might be our only hope to get inside that place, and I couldn't tolerate N discarding her assistance so quickly.

"I don't trust her…" He said softly, looking away.

Something about this seemed wrong. It wasn't just Fennel. N seemed reluctant to put his trust in anyone else besides myself or his Pokémon. I knew a bit about it, thanks to what Anthea and Concordia had told me. N spent his childhood with only Pokémon for company. He was conditioned to think that humans did nothing but abuse and harm them, and after seeing what this world had become, the lies he had been fed turned into reality.

I wanted to know the reason why… _his_ reason why.

"Why won't you let yourself trust them?"

His face was shock, as he wasn't expecting such a direct question. He quickly averted his gaze from me, looked down, sadness creeping into his eyes. He opened his mouth to answer.

N was interrupted before he could say a single word. The bushes to my immediate right began to rustle and put the both of us on guard. But before we could panic and attack, Amanita stumbled forth from the foliage. I relaxed with a relieved sigh.

"Amanita," I breathed. "What are you doing here?"

The girl in question took a moment to pull a few leaves from her dress, pad herself down and look around nervously before responding, "I've been looking for the two of you."

I knew that N's suspicions were rising, but I figured it better to hear what she wanted before jumping to any conclusions.

"I heard…" She looked down sheepishly and a flush grew on her face. Her shyness definitely wasn't my doing. I didn't even have to look at N to see how distrusting he must have looked. I tried to contrast his cynicism with a warm smile of my own, with the hopes of calming her down and getting her to talk. She spoke up again, "I heard what the two of you were talking about… about breaking into the D-dream Factory…"

I tried to keep myself composed, but deep down I felt worried, "We are."

"I see," Amanita began to fidget with the skirt of her dress, bunching the fabric together with nervous hands. She turned her eyes towards the sky to where the towers loomed far over the treetops. She took a breath, became resolute and faced us. She then said something I don't think either of us were expecting, "I want to help you."

"You…you do?" I asked in astonishment.

She bowed her head suddenly, "Please! You're the only ones who can! Please save all of the Pokémon, save the people, please save Miss Fennel too! Just…" Sorrow began to warp her voice, "Turn everything back to the way it's supposed to be…!"

Amanita continued to bow, stifling her tears as I looked on in shock. I was surprised that Amanita wanted to help us so strongly, after visiting the Striaton Gym, I thought N and I would be alone in our task to save this city. But what she had said… what exactly did she mean by that 'save Fennel' comment? Was something wrong with the professor? Had I misheard her?

"What good are you to us?" N asked bluntly.

I turned to him in surprise, baffled by his rudeness.

He saw my look and replied, "I need to know if she's going to weigh us down or not. Having an extra member join us would usually be a good thing, but this operation could all fall to pieces if she turns out to be a liability. Breaking into the Dream Factory…"

"It's a delicate art, I know." Amanita smiled at the both of us. "I've seen the security around that place. I know full well what the soldiers are capable of." She closed her eyes, "I know it won't be easy. And I wouldn't have come to the both of you if I didn't think I'd be of use." Amanita crouched and slid a small backpack off her shoulders. She unzipped the pack and began to pull out what looked like various maps and schematics. As she lay them upon the ground, even though they were unlabeled, I could recognize one to be a map of Striaton City.

"I'm sure the two of you have seen the wall that surrounds the Dream Factory?" she said, rustling out another schematic, this one appearing to be of the Dream Factory itself.

N arched his eyebrows is surprise, "These maps are very precise. Where on earth did you get them from?" he viewed her with a hovering suspicion.

"I um…" She tried to avoid both of our gazes, "I got it from a source of mine… it's… well, it's not important right now. Anyway, I suppose you know that there's no way to break down the wall," she traced her finger along the blueprints, along a line which I assumed represented the Dream Factory's fence, "you can't fly over it, dig under it, or knock it down." Amanita looked up at us with a toothy grin, "But don't you guys worry! I know a secret way to get into the Dream Factory, one that Team Plasma won't be suspecting!"

I leant forward anxiously, "Which is…?"

**XXX**

With the aid of a crowbar, we managed to pry off the cover of a manhole. It looked much lighter than it actually was; the thing weighed a ton and it took all three of us to lift it off. We set it down as carefully as possible, but even then it was impossible to stifle a dull, metallic clang. Luckily, the alleyway we'd entered was completely vacant, so we'd gone unnoticed, for now.

Amanita peered down into the black hole, and then looked me dead in the eye. Her gaze was frightfully serious from behind the pink rims of her glasses. "Are you ready? Once we go in there's no going back."

I made a face. This wasn't what I had in mind when she mentioned a 'secret entrance.' I could already smell the fetid odor of sewage wafting up from the hole and the sloshing sound it made as it travelled down the canals.

Before I could answer, N approached the hole and crawled fearlessly inside. Before he vanished and was shadowed out of view, he looked up to me and asked casually, "Aren't you coming?" then continued to traverse the ladder down.

My frown descended. I took a quick glance around our cover of buildings and saw no one. I sucked back both fear and disgust and climbed cautiously down the hole and into darkness. The gloom around me was absolute; I could not even see my hands as I traveled down the icy metal ladder, foot by foot, hand by hand. Amanita followed me, and once she was in, I heard her slide the manhole cover back over its top. It became darker.

We continued down blindly for a while, slinking deep into the underground. After a time, the subterranean world below us started to flicker into view. Gaping stone tunnels and streams of sewage were illuminated dully by the yellow lamps that hugged the ceiling. We touched down. By what I could tell in the dim light, there was no one around besides us. No soldiers, no workers, no Pokémon even. There was nothing, just the lapping sound of putrid water in my ears.

I scrunched my nose, squinting around at the bowels of the city, "It stinks…"

Amanita jumped off the ladder and landed behind us, the clomping of her boots echoed down the spacious tunnels. She pulled out the schematics again, the ones belonging to the sewer system this time. She glanced up and down from the map a couple times, looking up to judge our path as N and I tried to peek over her shoulder. "We have to go this way," she finally declared, pointing towards the left.

"You sure it leads to the Dream Factory?" I asked as the three of us started to travel down the walkways which bordered the filthy river.

"Yes but…" Amanita continued to look up and down from the plans, "It's not going to be as easy as you think."

I didn't know what Amanita meant by that at first, but I soon came to realize when the walkways ran out and only left tunnels of stagnant water beyond.

"The path's gone," I put my hands on my hips and let out a sigh, "how are we supposed to…" my eyes nearly bulged out of my head when Amanita stepped off the pathway and hopped into the murky waters beyond.

She gave me a short glance from where I stood watching in shock, "We have to go on foot from here." She turned around and began to walk through the knee-high sewage.

I stood at the pathway's edge for a moment, almost as if I was expecting her to turn around and say that she was joking.

N, seemingly unfazed, jumped into the water casually with a short splash, "Let's go, Touko."

"In there?" I pointed towards the path. "You're not serious…"

"It's the only way!" Amanita called back.

_Oh god… _I heaved out a sigh, and with one swift movement I dove into the malodorous stream. My boots were just high enough to breach the waterline, but the thickness of the water kept a permanent scowl on my face as I tried not to look down at what I was walking through.

The three of us passed by junction after junction as we made our way through the underground to the Dream Factory which we planned to kill. Sometimes the water level depleted, other times it rose. The walkways resumed at some points, to my delight, but were absent on other paths. Time began to drag as we took all manner of twists and turns through the bowels of this city. To my disdain, I noticed that Team Plasma had painted their coat of arms on the sewer's walls; we saw a insignia on at least every tunnel we walked through, and the sight almost sickened me as much as the stench. Was Team Plasma really so proud of their power that they had to boast it in the sewers of all places? I tried to ignore those thoughts as we trudged on into darkness, guided only by flashlight.

When Amanita announced that we were almost there my spirits leapt, only to be dashed when we came face-to-face with an iron grate that obstructed our path.

"Oops," Amanita chimed, taking a wide glance at her map, which had gotten a little soggy on the edges. "This wasn't supposed to be here," she withdrew a hand to ram her glasses up her nose with not so hidden anxiety.

"We can break it down." N stated. "We do have our Pokémon with us."

Amanita quickly folded up her map and slid it in her backpack. "It's okay," she then drew a Pokéball of all things from her pack. "I'll take care of this grate. Herdier! I need your help!" Amanita's terrier Pokémon appeared in a flash, just managing to keep its head above water, though it didn't seem too bothered by the stuff it was treading through.

I gawped at the canine, "A Pokémon? How did you…" I tried to look into Amanita's eyes but she kept her back turned, as if she didn't want to discuss the subject. But I didn't want her to get out of this without explaining anything. "Why do you have a Pokémon with you Amanita? And for that matter where did you get all those maps from?"

"Herdier. Use Take Down on that grate." Her voice was unmistakably monotone.

"Amanita!"

"What does it matter?" she suddenly snapped. Her uncharacteristic lash of anger had taken me back, "As long as we get there… everything is fine… right?" she turned away again and balled up her fists. I couldn't speak.

Amanita's Pokémon, after taking an uncertain look at her trainer, took a smash at the grate and we were soon walking forward again.

Why didn't Amanita want to tell us what was going on? Contrary to what N's face was saying, I didn't think she was tricking us. Not after going this far out of her way. Amanita just didn't seem like a deceiving person, and I hoped I was right. I thought back to N's words. _She is a citizen of this town too. She's just as susceptible to the Dream Mist as anyone else. _No. He must be wrong. These people wouldn't betray us… they wouldn't.

"I can't see a thing down here," I grumbled quietly. "Are you sure this is the right way, Amanita?"

"Up there…" she said.

I tried to squint through the darkness, "…Up where?"

A sudden beam of light illuminated a lengthy ladder which descended down from the ceiling. Amanita turned the flashlight to us, nearly blinding N and I in the process.

"Hey, watch it!" I said, throwing my hands over my eyes.

"Oops!" she gasped, turning the light back up. "Sorry! I'm sorry!"

N recovered quickly, "Where does that ladder lead?"

All three of us craned our necks to where it stretched up into the darkness.

"According to my maps… it should lead us right into the Dream Factory," she answered.

I whistled. "Nifty." I looked back down to Amanita, "Don't they know that this thing is here?"

Amanita reached back to scratch her head. "Well, you see, this used to be an entrance to the building that was here before the Dreamyard got turned into the Dreamyard, and much before the Dream Factory was ever built. It was a pathway that had no necessary use to Team Plasma, so it hasn't been torn down or blocked off, and I don't think they'll expect anyone to enter from this way either. So we might as well try."

"Whereabouts will we be deposited?" N inquired with a glance.

"Uhh, I don't really know. I have the basic floor plan of the Dream Factory in my pack, but it doesn't list off what the rooms are or what they're used for. We're uhh, kind of walking in blind," she showed a sheepish smile. "But it's the only way in."

N looked towards the ladder for a minute, staring it down in contemplation. Perhaps he was wondering if this was a trap or not, or maybe he was pondering what would be waiting for us at the top of that climb. I was much the same. The facility looked so imposing on the outside, with so many guards and armaments. What was it like on the inside? Was it just as heavily guarded? Would we reach the top of that ladder only to have guns pointed in our face?

The only certain thing was that we wouldn't find anything out by just standing here. N walked up to the ladder and began his climb: a metallic clang sounded from where his feet hit metal. Amanita was second, and I took up the rear, relieved to finally be out of that disgusting water. The blasted stuff was starting to seep through my boots, and that smell wasn't gonna come out easy.

The climb through darkness only lasted a few moments before N announced that he'd reached the top.

"There's a door here…" By the sounds he was making, I could tell that he was trying to pry it open. But it wasn't making it easy for him. Before N could announce a complaint, or say that this entrance was impassible, a sudden clicking sounded.

I looked up into the gloom on the off chance that I could make out what it was, "Did you get it open?"

The sound of screeching hinges met my ears, and answered the question for me. The door clanged once it had opened. I'd assumed it had hit a wall. There was a pause and before my fear had a chance to take root, I heard N say, "It's all clear," and clamber through the entrance. Amanita and I followed him and cautiously crawled into the Dream Factory.

We had entered some kind of garage loaded with rows upon rows of the armored trucks we'd seen in the city. It seems N had been right about this factory being a storage for the vehicles. This room was large and wide to accommodate the mass of bulky trucks. The lights were out, and the only illumination we were getting was from rows of blue lights that hugged close to the floor and lit things from the bottom up. Our secret entrance was but a loose tile on the metallic floor. Once in, we closed it up without a sound; there wasn't even a handle or mark on the door to show that it was there. It further solidified that Team Plasma either didn't know or didn't care about the sewer entrance. Either way, I was made more confident.

We'd entered at the back of the garage near the last row of trucks. The vehicles made good cover thanks to their bulk. They were easy to hide behind and crawl under, but we found not the need for stealth when we quickly realized that the room was unpatrolled.

I leant my back against one of the vehicles mighty tires and breathed a sigh of relief. "Where do we go from here?" I whispered while trying to keep my heart steady and my body from shaking. It was hard to see Amanita and N in this room. We stuck close together, and I could hear them move, so I always knew where they were, but the room was dark and made it tough to see them clearly. They were illuminated by the floor lights in eerie ways. Splashes of neon blue lit the grooves in their clothes and faces.

"Over there," N said in a hushed voice as he pointed towards a barely legible door on the nearest wall.

I stared at it seriously, "Where's it go?"

Amanita shook her head, not having the light or the time to check her maps. "It doesn't matter where it goes. All we know is that it leads away from here… and that we're probably going to have to fight if we want to keep moving."

"Alright." I swallowed hard, head pounding, "Let's not waste any time then."

The three of us padded silently across the floor; we blended into the shadows and slunk through the last rows of trucks. We reached our destination in a few short strides. Once there, we hugged the walls on either side of the door, since we found it unwise to stand directly before it. Amanita analyzed the opening mechanism of the door, since this one didn't have a handle and slid open instead.

"It isn't locked." She turned to N and I, looking dead serious. "The two of you need to get to the control center of the facility. If you reach it, and hack into the mother computer, you should be able to shut down power to the factory. I promise that I'll protect you if anything happens. All that matters is that the two of you make it there, you're the only ones strong enough to shut it down. I'm irrelevant in the matter."

I didn't like the thought of abandoning Amanita, but I didn't have the time to reason or protest. Amanita pulled back the door and light flooded our view. Without pause, all three of us dove into the bright hallway beyond.

The hallways we sped through were the definition of sterile. There wasn't a blotch or unwanted mark to speak of, and although this was a building of metal and wire, an unnatural creation, the perfection within unnerved me. I tried to ignore my fear as we ran on, only accompanied by the buzzing of florescent lights above. We passed by legions of doors as we ran. Each one was a white and clean as the rest of the place; they would have been impossible to tell apart if not for a string of block numbers above each one. Still, we saw not a single soul.

I dared to think that we might have the luck to make it to the control center without running into any hindrance. Not only a second after that thought had reared its head, a small group of Plasma soldiers turned a corner to meet us.

I stumbled back in surprise. Amanita pushed back her fear and called out her Herdier to match them, "You two get out of here!"

"Wha… What about you?" I asked as N grabbed hold of my wrist and began to run, taking me with him in the process.

I was only able to hear Amanita shout, "I'll hold them off here! Don't worry about me!" before we turned a corner out of sight.

I tried to keep up with N's pace as I half ran and was half dragged through the facility.

After a time, I had to get him to stop, "N…!" I breathed, slowly tugging him to a halt. "Slow down… for a minute… will you?"

"We have… to keep going…" He said between breaths, still clenching my wrist but not bothering to turn around and look me in the eye. "We can't stop now… though Amanita may try to hold off the soldiers… her attempts may be…"

"I know!" I clenched my jaw, "But we're walking blind! We don't even know where we're…"

N turned around in shock as the sound of approaching soldiers echoed down the corridors. The both of us, knowing time was short, looked around frantically for a doorway or another hall to dive into. We seemed to be unlucky, because this hall out of many seemed to be one of the few that wasn't lined with doors. But the both of us seemed to notice it at once. There was a door that stood black upon a vast white wall: standing alone like some sort of monolith. It stood apart from the other doors we'd seen, not only in colour, but this door wasn't marked by a string of numbers like before. It was only identified by the words _Dream Room 06_ in crimson lettering_._

As the approaching clamor of soldiers drew near, N and I knew it was our only chance at a quick escape.

We took it.

The both of us were submerged in darkness again as the door slid shut behind. N and I pressed our bodies close to the wall and listened as the soldiers hustled by. For some reason which struck me as odd, none of them came inside to check this room. I didn't have much time to ponder the reason why, for N set my heart alight with fear when he gave a terrified gasp. He'd grabbed my attention immediately. I'd never heard him sound so frightened. I knew whatever had caused him to react that way couldn't be good. I spun around and came to see a world out of a nightmare.

This place… this Dream Room, was lined with containment tanks, eight on either side of the room spaced evenly apart by a few feet. They were filled to the brim with some weird neon fluid, and I couldn't tell what it was or what was giving it its color. The tanks glowed and lit the darkness with eerie florescence. The cylinders were placed about the room, side by side, with the intention of leading up to a much larger container at the back of the room. Suspended in each one of these tanks, hooked in place by wiring, was a Pokémon known as Munna, and in the very last tank of the room a Musharna was held. Each Pokémon's face was tight in pain. Many wires that stemmed from the connecting base and head of the cylinders lay buried in the Pokémon's skin, hooked into organs and veins under pink flesh. It took me a moment to realize, but it dawned on me that the wires were probably there to pull Dream Smoke from the Pokémon's bodies. I couldn't believe my eyes. Even after Fennel had told us that the Dream Factories extracted mist from the Munna and Musharna… I never expected it to be like this…

What finally caused me to tear my eyes off the Munna's frozen agony was N. He walked towards the tanks hesitantly, fearfully, as if he didn't believe, or couldn't comprehend, what his own eyes were showing him. His face was filled with horror, eyes wide, jaw ajar. He stopped before one of the cylinders on our right, brought up a trembling hand and placed it flat upon the clear glass. The Pokémon within writhed weakly, oblivious to his unfelt touch, as it tried to wriggle free from the wires sewn into its flesh.

"Tou…" N's hand clenched into a trembling fist. "_Touko_…" His voice had me on edge. I had never heard N sound so tormented, so outraged. He must have been trying with all his might to contain his aggression and keep a clear head. He knew as well as I that losing himself to fury was the last thing we needed. Because of his tone, I almost feared giving him an answer. I didn't want to see what N would become if he let rage get the better of him. He didn't give me time to respond.

N looked at me with eyes wrought with both agony and fury, as if he was the one confined in the tanks instead. "W-we have to get t-them out of here…" His words trembled with emotion, with desperation.

I wanted to answer but I was tongue-tied. I tried again after my first stumble, "O-okay. Okay! Let's do it! This is what we're here for!" I tried to sound brave, but I was still buzzing with the shock of what I'd seen. I threw my hands to my belt, making to grab a Pokémon but N interrupted me.

"Hold on," I looked up to see him pointing towards the back of the room, to behind the prominent tank that the Musharna lay suspended in. "It looks like there's a control panel over there behind the final tank," his voice had assumed a horribly hard edge. He'd gained control of his feelings for now, but at what price?

I squinted for a moment, trying to see past the gruesome sight, until I finally did notice it, "Can you hack into it and set the Pokémon free?"

"It can't hurt to try," he made a move towards the back of the room but froze mid-step.

"What's the…?" My words fell as I noticed a shadowy figure step out from behind the right row of tanks.

A scientist, with glasses agleam with green light, regarded the both of us with a wicked sneer. With slick black hair, a well ironed jacket and a blemish-free, but scrunched looking face, this man seemed to be trying his hardest to replicate the perfection this building was constructed upon. Ultimately, he failed. To me, he looked gruesome in the light of the anguished Munna. "I see. So the reports of intruders held validity after all," he glanced down the line of tanks, holding a prideful smile. "How do you like our work? A wonder, don't you think?"

He sounded so pleased with the suffering of these Pokémon that I felt sickened… I couldn't even respond.

But I didn't need to. "You monster! How can you do this!" N roared, balling his fists in rage. "How can you simply stand here and marvel at this atrocity! How can you get pleasure from the suffering of these innocent Pokémon! They've done nothing to deserve this… you… _you monster_!"

The scientist arched his thick eyebrows in surprise. "Could it be? You're the imposter our lord N is looking for… to think you'd be here of all places…" he leant forward with an observative leer.

N flinched. That comment had clearly struck a nerve. Being reminded that someone else had his face, and was ruling the nation in his name, just added to the weight that N had to carry. It was wearing him down and it was painfully obvious.

I couldn't keep my eyes on him so I turned to the scientist. "Can it! We're setting these Pokémon free whether you like it or not!" Somehow I managed to drive the wavering tone from my voice, "Step aside!"

The scientist watched us for a moment from behind his shining lenses. "That… I cannot do," he withdrew a Pokémon from under his lab coat.

I responded in turn by reaching for my belt, "If it's a fight you want…" N put a firm hand on my arm. I turned to him with a curiously, but his eyes were fixed on the scientist.

"Let me have this one," Was all he said.

The resolution was clear in his voice, but I had to be certain, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Please get to the back of the room and destroy that control panel," he plucked a Pokéball from his belt. "If you can't find a switch to release the Pokémon… then just destroy the panel."

I was going to ask one more time if he was certain, but N gave me a guiding push as his only answer and I was off, slinking through the rows of cylinders towards the back of the room.

I could hear the noise of the battle over my breaths. I couldn't pay mind to it; I had to keep on target. N would be fine; I couldn't waste time worrying about him now; I had faith that he'd be able to take care of himself. I just hoped he wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him.

I ducked down behind a tank as a shockwave ran through the room. After it had passed, I peeked out to see N was deep in battle with the scientist. Laika was fighting against a Klinklang. My heart sank when I saw this because I knew dark type moves were not usually effective against steel types.

"Laika! Use Foul Play!" Laika's body began to glow with ominous red light. She then sent the wave of light flying at her opponent which sent the rotating gears off course and knocked them into a nearby tank, which didn't break despite the force. The Munna went wild inside of their cylinders. They began to wriggle and squirm around in the neon fluid, eager for their freedom, but the wires held them stationary. The sight of their desperation reminded me of what I needed to do.

I raced towards the back of the room where the control panel looked over the room. Another shockwave shook the enclosure and I grabbed hold of the board to prevent myself from flying back. Once it had subsided I tried to keep my eyes off the violent battle, and tried to figure out how to work this complex board of blinking lights and switches. After but a moment of looking I came to realize that I had no idea how this machine worked, and I certainly didn't want to start mashing buttons and hope on the off chance that I'd set the Pokémon free.

I began to panic, "N! How do I work this thing?"

The scientist N was fighting took an angry glance over his shoulder, frustrated at his preoccupation. N was turning out to be more of a challenge than he'd seemed to have first thought.

"Just blow it up!" N shouted from across the room, from across the battle where Laika was just barely managing to hold off a Gear Grind.

"Are you sure?" Was blowing it up really a good solution to this? What if it reacted badly and ended up hurting the Munna instead of helping them?

"If you cut power from that panel, then the Munna should be able to break out on their own! Laika dodge it!" His words were just audible through another crash.

I took a hesitant look to the control board on the off chance that I could make something out. But I had no such luck so I reached to my belt with the intentions of drawing Hyle out. A nicely placed Brick Break was sure to cut the power to those cylinders.

The second my hand closed around the ball capsule I heard the click of a gun.

"Don't move."

I couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't even trust my vision as I turned slowly to see professor Fennel standing a few feet away with a pistol in her hand, whose barrel was pointed right at me.


	13. Destroying Dreams

The gun held in professor Fennel's hand glinted eerily against the green glow of the containment cylinders. Her finger rested against the trigger, ready to pull at a moment's notice. If I were to make another move towards my belt and grasp a Pokéball, if I were to call for help, if I took a single breath, I would be met with lead.

I stood frozen as I watched her hold that weapon. My eyes were locked onto it, staring down the barrel. It was a weird feeling, having something like that being pointed at me. In the blink of an eye, with just the slightest of motions, my life could be claimed. The weapon Miss Fennel held could kill me. It didn't seem real. Is this a dream? Is this some kind of hallucination? Is that really Miss Fennel? The room was filled with shadows… it was dark, but I could tell it was her. Her plum-coloured hair tinged with green; the lenses of her glasses shone, and her lips were pressed together tight. Her voice, "Don't move." My eyes were showing me the truth.

I looked at the professor desperately, questioningly, eyes pleading… _why?_

She said coldly, "If you move then I will shoot you."

It was a command that I had no choice but to follow. I bottled up my fear and shock, hardened my expression and stared Fennel right in the eye. The neon glow of the containment cylinders flashed across her glasses, and hid her eyes from view. I couldn't see if she was sad or angry or what, but even if I couldn't see her… she could still see me.

"Why?" I managed to ask. A rumble echoed beneath my feet as N's battle with the scientist resumed.

She didn't respond.

"Why are you working for the Dream Factories, Miss Fennel?! You used to love Pokémon! Why are you letting this happen to them?!"

The corner of Fennel's mouth twitched, "You don't understand anything…" she hissed.

"Then enlighten me!" I snapped, "Explain to me how this kind of treatment is justifiable!" I waved an arm towards the Pokémon who continued to squirm in their containment tanks.

"Shut up!" she barked with a ferocity that made me jump, "It was what I had to do…" Her hand that held the gun trembled, "You don't know what things were like in this region after your defeat. There was unease after your loss, a confusion, unknowing. But then… Team Plasma came around and started to build the factories. Sure, people didn't embrace the idea at first. It frightened them. But no one could stop them from rising, and when they did… all the opposition for the factories seemed to vanish in a day… I was just like you at first…" Her head tilted down slightly, revealing her sorrow-filled eyes.  
>"I hated the Dream Factories too. I refused to work for them because I knew what they were really about. I knew that what Team Plasma was saying on the television wasn't true. I know about Munna and Musharna, I know how the Dream Smoke works. It's not supposed to do this kind of thing to people. I knew Team Plasma was altering the Dream Smoke inside of these buildings, but despite their persuasion and bribes, I wanted none of it! I refused… I refused to work for Team Plasma too…"<p>

With a frown on my face, I found that I could not look away from the professor. Is that what things were really like in Unova after I'd been defeated? Was Miss Fennel… once like all those we'd seen in hollowed alleyways?

"But after I'd turned them down, Team Plasma made sure that I could never work anywhere again. They took away my house, my research, all my belongings. Everything. Everything was gone…" her hands shook more, "The only thing that I had left with me was Amanita… but we were both dying!" Her eyes found mine, solid and composed. "I agreed to work for Team Plasma and their Dream Factories… in order to keep Amanita and myself alive. I did what I had to do to survive."

"Miss Fennel…" I breathed, shocked. I had no idea that both Fennel and Amanita had gone through such a thing. How much had they suffered on those streets? How much did they have to fight? During this time, despite having a gun pointed at my head, I had to wonder, if I was in Fennel's shoes, what would I have done? If I was out on the streets, fighting for life… would I have given in too?

I suddenly thought back to all those lonely nights in the tower, allied with darkness, as I had been in Team Plasma's castle. My situation had been different from Miss Fennel's, but the sorrow was still the same; I could draw parallels, and I could sympathize with her.

"I see…" I managed to say. "You found a way to keep you and Amanita both alive." I looked down, "But you can never be happy this way…"

"I know that well enough…" Fennel spat, expression warping bitter. "But unhappiness is better than death."

"But even now… Miss Fennel…" I looked to her, "Your soul is dying. Every time you come here… every time you do this to the people and to the Pokémon… not only are you killing them, but you're dying too!"

Her eyes widened.

"You don't have to keep doing this!" I told her, "N and I have come to put a stop to all of this. Amanita was the one who brought us here! She wanted us to help you, Fennel!" The professor became more shocked when I mentioned Amanita, and she lowered the gun only slightly. "This can all come to an end right here and right now, Fennel, but we need your help! You can't keep letting Team Plasma kill everyone!" _She's got to believe me. She's got to see the truth. Open your eyes!_

Fennel looked shocked, and afraid, like she knew the truth of my words but did not want to accept them just yet. Conflicted. She didn't want to return to a past of starvation and pain.

I glanced over to N. I could hear his battle through my talk with Fennel, and I had to look over to make sure that he was winning, or at least surviving. I couldn't see much with a glance, but I could tell enough that he was still fighting as hard as he could, as it seemed, his opponent wasn't going to take this lying down. N was worried for me as well. I could see it in his eyes as he struggled to keep watch on my situation with Fennel, and his own battle at hand. That couldn't have been easy. I'd quickly put his heart to rest.

I faced Fennel again, as she still had not spoken, but was gnawing her lip anxiously to the point where it bled. "This is wrong!" I gestured to the Munna, who still fought with their bindings, yet had no success. "So why don't you just fight back!? You're strong, Fennel. You have the power to help us!"

"No!" She shouted, eyes blazing in the green. "You'll never be strong enough! You'll never have enough power! You're just a naïve little girl who got lucky, and now you think you can change the whole world. You-You saw the people out there! You saw… you can see it all right now in front of your eyes! You see how powerful Team Plasma is!" Her breathing was ragged, sweat pooling; she tried to calm herself. "You may have broken in here… you may have come this far… but you will be stopped, if not by me then by someone else. You'll be subdued." She cracked a crooked, wry smile, "But even if you do! Even if you get lucky and shut down this factory… you'll never… _you'll never_," tears streamed her cheeks, "you'll never be able to destroy Team Plasma as a whole…! This world doesn't want a hero."

"That's not going to stop me from trying…"

Fennel stared, eyes wide, nonplussed, "…What?"

"I really…" I looked down, "I know what it's like to give up, lie down, play dead, and let the world go to hell. I really know a lot what that's like. I often asked myself… what could I do? What change could I make? I'd already lost once… so what was the point of fighting back?" I closed my eyes, "But doing nothing… and letting things continue as they are… is even worse than dying."

The professor continued to watch me; the trembling hand which held the gun clenched even tighter. My heartbeat was rapid just staring at that thing, but I wasn't willing to believe that Fennel would shoot me. She would not kill me to keep this beast alive. She wouldn't…!

"But if you give up then nothing is going to change! You're not alive if you only live in pain and hatred." I looked her straight in the eye, "That's why I'm going to change something! I'm going to change all of this! N and I both are! I don't care how many people say we can't do it, or how many armies rise to oppose us, I'm not going to surrender!" I reached for my belt and took hold of a Pokéball.

Fennel jolted and grabbed onto the gun with both of her hands. She pointed the trembling barrel right at my head. "Stop it!"

I called my Emboar out, "Use Brick Break!" Hyle hesitated not a second before he threw his fists into the control panel, which collapsed under the strike and spewed forth a wave of sparks. I looked towards the cylinders to see them flicker; the power was dying out.

"Shit!" The scientist who N was fighting grit his teeth in realization, "Shoot her, you idiot!" he turned back to Fennel but the professor wouldn't move; Fennel just stood there and watched in shock as the Munna began to glow inside of their tanks. A ringing built in the air, and the glow from the Pokémon shone so bright that it overcame the unnatural green glow. The floor beneath my feet began to rumble.

"Get down! They're going to use Psychic!" N shouted from across the room. A mere second later, the room erupted with a deafening smash. One after the other the cylinders which lined the room shattered, spraying out glass in all directions, shards large and small, all sharp. Before I could make a move to defend myself, not like it would have mattered, I felt myself being pulled down. I was facedown, but could see and feel professor Fennel overtop me; she'd shielded me. She pushed our bodies against the burning lump of the control panel which was sure to give is partial cover. However, I couldn't see or hear any glass coming our way. It was like we were being shielded by something. Hyle? No… through the small gap in Fennel's arms I could see my Emboar hunched, back towards the destruction noise, bracing himself for any impact. He hadn't need too. The glass wasn't coming near us… but why?

After a few moments, the chaos had settled. The smashing ceased; the glass patterings fell silent. All was quiet. As we thought things were safe, Fennel and I cautiously peeked out from behind the dying-fire control panel to see what we could see. The Munna and Musharna lay limp in their now empty tanks, free yet still bound by threads of wire. Glass and neon fluid, which still seemed to glow outside of the tanks, trashed the ground. From across the room, I saw N rise slowly to his feet. Laika who stood before him hesitantly brought down her arms. Neither one of them had been cut. I understood it then. The Munna must had seen our attempts to save them, and in turn, protected us from the blast. The scientist who N had fought wasn't so lucky.

He lay contorted on the ground, squirming in a pool of blood which now gushed from many fresh wounds. Gashes and tears coated the man, ruining his imperfected beauty, and in many of these wounds, shards slept, on his back, through his limbs, they were impaled. He'd been smart enough to shield is face and chest from the onslaught, but if wounds were not vital, they were numerous. Blood loss was going to do him in if we didn't do something.

I sprinted around the ruined panel and passed the Musharna tank, "Hey! Are you alright?" Before I could reach him, the scientist lashed out.

"Stay away from me! D-don't you come near me!" he began to pull himself up, but his movements were wild and uncontrolled, like weights were strapped to his limbs. Despite all the blood and the difficulty of simple movement, he got himself up.

"I just want to help—…" I tried to make a move to calm the guy down, because even if he did work in this factory, it didn't mean he needed to die because of it. He could be just like Fennel. Someone swept into this place against his true will.

But the scientist still refused to accept my offer. He turned and raced towards the doorway, clutching a heavily wounded arm as he went, and soon disappeared leaving only a trail of blood in his wake. I didn't like leaving that guy to run all through the facility, alerting workers and soldiers alike to our actions, but we didn't have the time to chase him down, these Pokémon were our priority now.

Fennel slowly picked up a weak Musharna in her arms. Its light pink skin had become dull, grayish, and its body had become sunken, bones protruded, a column of ribs, the dome of its skull. Its lifeless eyes drooped, slowly closing.

"Shh," Fennel cooed soothingly, but in response all the Musharna did was tremble painfully.

"Maybe I can help," N said, coming over, drawing out Marie as he went.

"An Audino?" Fennel looked up hopefully, "Perfect, have her use Heal Pulse on the Musharna's forehead. I'm gonna see if we can't get this wire out," she tapped her finger on a thick cable that was lodged into the hole on the Musharna's head; the main outlet for drawing out Dream Smoke, I assumed.

Marie waddled over and placed her paws on the Musharna head, right at the base of the wire.

"Musharna," Fennel called hurriedly, "I'm going to try to pull the wire from your head. It might hurt for a moment, but please bear with me," Fennel took hold of the wire and prepared to pull.

"That won't hurt it, will it?" I asked hesitantly. "You won't cause damage… pulling it out?"

"I hope not," she murmured seriously. "It's a delicate procedure… but if done right then we can avoid serious damage for now. Usually I wouldn't want to be so hasty, but if we don't get these wires out now… then… the Musharna could…" She didn't need to finish.

Marie's paws began to glow around the outlet. Fennel waited for a moment, as if counting down inside of her head before, with one quick movement, she pulled the thick wire from the Musharna's head. The Pokémon trembled in pain at the sudden absence of the wire, and then fell limp. I watched the Pokémon with bated breath, expecting it to open its eyes and move again, but there was no response from Fennel's gentle rousing. The Musharna was free from its wires now, free from the cylinder where it suffered, but all of the pain that it endured… all of the Dream Mist extracted from its body… must have been too great a toll.

"Come on, Musharna," Fennel tried to sound hopeful as she called out to the Pokémon in the hopes that it would open its eyes. In a soothing motion, she ran her hand along its bald head, across its grayed skin, "Just open your eyes for us… please…" Tears were building in the professor's eyes but her voice was forced steady.

I felt like I could be sick. I couldn't do anything to help this Musharna. I had fought for it… I had freed it …but I was powerless to save its life.

Marie held a face of pure concentration as she continued to apply the remedy of her Heal Pulse; she wasn't willing to give up on this Pokémon yet. Neither was Fennel. The professor continually coaxed the motionless Pokémon in her arms, telling it to open its eyes and save its friends, telling it that it couldn't give up now. _Please wake up… please…_

As if in response to their combined effort, the Musharna's eyes fluttered.

My heart leapt, "Is it…?" I looked to both Fennel and N hopefully, "Is it okay?!"

The Musharna gave out a weak cry; it might not have been able to smile, and I couldn't understand what its words meant, but the look in its eyes was enough. This Pokémon was thanking us.

"I think she'll be alright," Fennel said with a relieved smile. "That's a good girl," she then set to pulling out the rest of the wires on the Musharna's body. None of them were as large or as deeply set as the first, and they were all extracted with ease. Some ran along the Pokémon's spine, though I gather they mustn't have been hooked to the bone, some were hooked on its limbs or around her head, and although they left blood after they were extracted, the damage beyond that was nil. With the help of Marie's Heal Pulse, the Musharna had been completely unhooked.

The Pokémon slowly raised itself in the air by means of psychic power. It looked out over the room to its comrades still snared. The bound Munna, upon seeing their evolution still alive, looked on in hope. The Musharna called out to them in a tongue that I couldn't understand, a ringing, rolling note; it sounded eerie, like something out of a dream.

N, on the other hand, seemed to be fully aware what the Musharna planned to do. He reacted with worry, "Are you sure that's a good idea, Musharna!? You're not fully healed…"

"What's it going to do?" I asked.

Before he had a chance to respond, the Musharna started to glow in pink light: Psychic. The energy was soon transferred to its fellow Munna, and with the power, Musharna was able to unhook the wires from the Munna's bodies. From their snouts, from their backs and limbs, each one of the wires was tugged out, and the Munna were released. Although the Pokémon had now been freed, they were too weak and tired, not to mention still wounded, to get themselves back up again. Such a long time in confinement had not done any good for them.

"I'm going to see if we can help them out," N said, walking off towards the tanks with Marie in tow, leaving me with Fennel.

I turned to the professor who watched the freed Pokémon with a faint smile.

She'd saved me… she'd saved the Musharna…

"Fennel… does this mean you're going to help us now?" I asked, trying to sound serious but my voice was clouded with hesitance. She'd dropped the gun somewhere in the chaos… but…

She closed her eyes for a moment and let out a gentle sigh. N paused and looked over his shoulder apprehensively. Fennel suddenly opened her eyes, "I think you're both bloody mad!" she flashed a smile. "But… you're right. You're absolutely right. If the two of you think that you're strong enough, that you can shut down this Dream Factory and free everyone… then I'll help you." She held the smile as the last few stray tears ran down her cheeks. "If not, then we'll go down fighting."

My heart leapt, "You're serious?!"

Fennel nodded, unable to remove the grin from her face, "Damn right I will. I've had enough of beating myself up and working for this blasted place. I can't believe it took me so long to come to my senses. To make it up to everyone, I'm going to do whatever I can to help you." She looked us dead in the eye, "The Dream Factory is controlled by a room in the center of the building. The power sources, the operation of the Dream Rooms, everything is controlled by the mother computer. If we can hack into the system… then we can cut the power to the Dream Rooms and the Munna and Musharna should be able to get out on their own. No Dream Mist means no Dream Factory. Sound good to you kids?"

"Let's do it!" I said without hesitation. Hyle beside me also nodded with vigor.

The Munna rose from their tanks, whether bloody or healed they rose up. I cast a wide glance at the pink creatures as they hovered, drawing near.

N smiled, "They say that they want to help us."

.

.

Chapter 13

**Destroying Dreams **(…_and reviving nightmares_)

.

A stir had emerged in the streets of Striaton City. No one knew the details of the incident, or the real cause behind it all, but the results were becoming clear. All attention was fixed on the Dream Factory. The people in the streets came to see it, and they spread the news like wildfire. How could anyone miss the falling of a god? From every point of the city the sight was evident. The breath of the factory had become weak; the mist that gushed from the towers had been more choked then the people could ever remember. It was a sight of awe for the people; how could their sentinel, who had guarded them for so long, end up looking like this? Not everyone fully believed it, or knew to the full extents of what was going on, but somewhere deep down the thought was absolute: the Dream Factory was dying.

Plasma soldiers who patrolled the streets did everything they could to combat that growing thought. They elevated themselves and spoke through megaphones and the like, projecting their voice to every corner of the city,

"**Return to your homes**"

"**The authorities will remedy this situation**"

"**Everything is under control**"

But they never announced the problem, which only made people wonder more. Of course, there were some obedient folk who grabbed their kin and hid away, just eager to save themselves and avoid conflict. But there were others who refused to leave the streets despite being told otherwise. Surely they were scared, but a strange curiosity had been aroused within them, something that they had never felt before. Something was happening in that building, something Team Plasma might not be able to stop. For once, Team Plasma did not hold all the power; they did not control the outcome of this situation and that made people wonder.

Some turned to their screens in hopes of explanation; would something be broadcast to explain this turn of events? No. The screen above Striaton City watched silently as the tumult built.

"What's going on in there?" The people began to ask.

The soldiers did not expect them to question, to be so hungry for answers. Were they not simply satisfied by what we told them? They needed more? However, Plasma was not without an excuse to keep aloft.

"There's just a mild problem with the power supply. The issue should clear up in the next hour."

"We are conducting a systems check on the facility… the… power will be down for a time…"

"There are reports that a terrorist has broken in the facility and plans to dismantle the factory. However, do not fear. The problem shall be dealt with. Return to your homes at once and await further notifications."

Even though most of their claims didn't match, many were satisfied. It was an excuse, but at least it was a reason. Even if they told different claims… one of them must have been right, right? It would just be safer for us to go inside and wait for things to calm down. Things would get better soon. There's nothing to worry about. Many gave into their words and reluctantly drew away. But other people made a point to stay.

"Maybe it's a good thing that you guys are finally getting broken down!"

"I couldn't agree more. Even if most of us won't admit it, it's clear that that establishment has left an awful taste in our mouths."

"Do you really think that we will remain obedient when it's as clear as day that your choke hold is loosening? You say you can combat this infection… but aren't you guys the real disease!?"

The soldiers drew back in shock at what they had come to see. Three figures strode up towards the gates of the Dream Factory, armed with forbidden weapons in their hands.

* * *

><p>Fennel, N and I raced down the hallways of the facility. A cloud of Munna and Musharna followed on our heels. An alert siren blared overhead and dyed the immaculate halls in red. We followed the professor as she led us deeper into the factory; the doors that lined the hallways grew thin, and in their absence more soldiers emerged.<p>

Small groups of masked soldiers made an attempt to try and stop us with Pokémon of their own. But before either N or I had a chance to grasp a Pokéball, the soldiers began to glow in pink light. A second later they were all thrown against the walls, held there forcefully by Psychic.

"Thank you!" I shouted to the Munna who all nodded their heads in response.

"It's just ahead, here," Fennel pointed to the end of the hall where an unmarked red door waited, watching as we came near. "We're going to enter the antechamber and get to the Brain room through there. It's the only entrance." Her eyes were dead serious, and the direness of the situation was reflected in that. Play time was over. Fennel spoke through heavy breaths and over the blaring klaxon. "We haven't seen too many soldiers on our way here… which means…" she looked at the door and traced her fingers over the surface. "They're probably all waiting for us in here." She looked at us again, "Get ready for the worst."

I looked at N and he looked at me. His eyes were full of certainty, vigor, a look that said, "We've come this far already. We can't turn back now." His look was a simple assurance that drained the fear and anxiety from me. I nodded his way. _Let's do it_.

Fennel opened the red door. The room that appeared was a wide cylindrical chamber that was lined with many machines and computers along its rim. Most were powered off, screens black, but few were still on with blinking lights and humming fans. The grinding of machinery shook the sound proof walls, muffled but powerful. The heartbeat… It pounded… louder… louder… the door opened to its fullest.

A gunshot rang out.

My breath was cut short; my heart felt as if it had missed a beat. The sound was so loud, so heavy, I couldn't pretend that I hadn't heard it. That dreaded noise was something that I'd managed to avoid earlier, but as it sounded… the automatic thought was that I'd been shot. I looked down at my body, looking for a bullet wound or blood, but there was none, and as the shock drained from my body, I felt no pain. I hadn't been shot.

I heard a body fall to the ground.

N, who stood beside me, turned toward the sight. A muffled collapse; the sound of glasses clinked against the ground. I, too, looked. Professor Fennel was facedown, kissing the ground, in a small pool of red. The sound of her falling was small, but the silence that followed was the loudest noise that I'd ever before heard. All the machines and all the soldiers within the room were sneering. I, however, was terrified to the core. I could not remove my eyes from the professor, and the red pool around her body grew into a lake.

I could not react. Time for me had ground still. A nearby Munna drifted to the professor and tried to rouse her with a nudge of its snout. There was no response. I was moving. Professor Fennel and the Munna we'd come with were getting further and further away. The world slowly started to fade back in, time ticked again. I found my legs, and by the time I realized what was going on, N and I were already herded into the center of the room, boxed in on all sides by armed, visored Plasma soldiers. There were hundreds of them, and even some scientists in the mix.

"Touko…" N and I stood back to back. He just managed to keep his voice steady, but I could feel him shaking. "Can you hear me?"

I cursed harshly under my breath, reaching subtly for a Pokéball. "F-Fennel is…" My voice shook. I tried to see her over an ocean of masked faces, to see what those bastards were doing to her. I couldn't see much too well, but there was a group around the fallen professor, driving Munna away with electric guns, and planning to take Fennel away.

"I know…" N said through gritted teeth. "Just stay still. No sudden moves or we could be next." Though it was nearly impossible, I tried to keep my feet rooted, pressing the soldiers back with a glare, and watched as they all pointed rifles in my face. Even some further back drew Pokéballs, just in case we were able to call one out before a shot. "We'll figure something out…"

Many of the Plasma soldiers began to call out Pokémon: Klinklang, Watchog, Krookodile and countless others. We were both grossly outmatched and running short on time. We were cornered… like some sort of mouse in a trap.

I cracked a weak sneer, "This may be the end for us, old buddy." I readied myself, reaching for my belt and preparing to get shot for doing it.

"At least we won't go down without a fight, right?" N said in a tone that made me think he was smiling.

My eyes began to sting, "You betcha…" The soldiers nearest us placed their fingers on their triggers. Soldiers at the back of the room prepped to call an attack. We weren't given a chance to react or to defend ourselves. It was over. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to come, for anything to come, but what followed was not what I expected.

"Simipour! Use Hydro Pump!" A massive wave of water crashed into the masses of soldiers, knocking down human and Pokémon alike. The other soldiers who hadn't been hit watched in shock as their comrades floundered about in the deluge.

Before they even had a chance to recover or respond, another command sounded, "Simisage, Leaf Storm, if you will." A tornado of foliage rushed by and crashed into another fraction of the soldiers, knocking out many Krookodile and Jellicent in the process, leafs tearing the clothes and skin of their human partners.

Both N and I turned to the door to catch the final attack being called.

"Simisear! Roast 'em with Overheat!" A Simisear landed before us and drove away the cluster of soldiers that had gathered around the door which lead to the Brain room with a wave of crackling flame. Many of the soldiers were able to scramble out of the way before getting hit, but an unlucky minority were scorched by the blaze.

Cress gave a rather over-the-top sweep of his bangs, "My goodness. The both of you make such a point about rebellion and yet you get caught in a corner like this," he sighed, "not very dignified if you ask me." His Simipour kept close, sneering confidently at the soldiers who tried to pull themselves up from the slippery floor.

"Y-you guys… what are you… what are you doing here!?" My jaw dropped. I couldn't even believe my eyes. It was the Striaton Gym leaders! All three of them!

"That's a dumb question!" Chili blurted, "We're savin' your butts." He then called over his shoulder, "Oi, Cilan! How's the professor doing!?"

I picked out Cilan near the edge of the room, near the very door we had entered. He lay crouched beside the professor, applying cloth to her wounds as a nearby Musharna seemed to be drawing the bullet from her body with Psychic. "She's alive! I don't think the bullet has… um, has hit anything vital!" He called over a mound of incapacitated soldiers.

"That's quite a relief…" Cress sighed.

Chili huffed and stood at his brother's side, glaring at the growing amount of recovering and angry soldiers. Unfortunately, their attacks had only stalled the army. "You guys better hurry up and get inside that control room. You need to shut down this place once and fer all before time runs out here." Cress and Chili looked at us confusedly. N and I were fused in place, jaws slack.

"I said get the lead out!" Chili fumed, "Simisear! Flamethrower!"

I brought up an arm to shield from the heat, "Are you guys gonna be alright?"

Cress turned his back on us, facing soldiers and scientists alike, "There's no need to worry about us. Let me assure you that we'll be fine…Get going! Quickly!"

I set my jaw and nodded, "Alright! We won't let you guys down!" I made for the door, but noticed that N wasn't following. Instead he stood there and watched the Striaton brothers fight with the most astounded look on his face. He looked utterly floored, however, this wasn't the time. "N! Get a move on!" He was transfixed.

"N!" I shouted again, which finally snapped him out of his daze.

Realizing where his priorities lay, N shook off his shock and followed me, however, he cast many looks of awe back to where the brothers fought. We left their efforts behind and entered the control room.

After what we'd seen in the antechamber, I was half expecting this place to be loaded with soldiers and guards. But I was wrong. The room was completely vacant… This place was a huge, long room, totally empty of all the machines we'd seen earlier. The floor before us was bear, but at the very back of the room, a large metal staircase lay. It connected the ground to a conspicuous metal platform shoved at the very back of the room; resting atop said platform was the mother computer. It was a beast of a machine by what I could see, covered in blinking lights and coiling wires. Its black screen reflected us, even from a distance.

A figure stood at the bottom of the stairs, sole witness to our arrival.

"Ah. So you've come." An elderly man who looked to be in his seventies, scrutinized the both of us with a set of icy eyes, one of which was partially hidden behind a monocle. Despite his age, he stood proud and tall; he looked dignified and imposing, clothed in a black general's uniform which was emblazoned with golden metals and pins. From his attire, I figured that he was the Head of this institution; the boss of Striaton's Dream Factory. The man pointed a questioning finger my way, "Miss Touko, is it not?" his eyes glittered, "and it appears that the imposter king is with you as well." He reached up a hand to stroke his voluminous mustache, "I see…" He almost purred. "Verrry interesting."

"Stand aside! We're going to shut this place down whether you like it or not!" I shouted, not wanting to give him the time to play mind games.

He stifled a short laugh, which was quickly replaced by a stern glare. "The youth of today… how hasty, how naïve." He held his arm out to the side, "Arrogant you are, no?"

"You act confident but it's clear that you've lost," N said seriously. "Please don't make us force our way through. It would be logical for you to surrender." N pointed to the computer screen which overlooked the room, "We're only a few short steps from victory."

The Head gave a crooked sneer, "Perhaps it is the truth that you speak. But yield? Oh, no, no, no," he shook his head, bowing it to reveal a bald crown. "I'm not the type to yield to upstarts such as yourselves," he cleared his throat momentarily before reaching into his coat and drawing out a Pokéball. "But before we go any further," his eyes seemed to linger on me, "because I can see that you are growing impatient," he gave a polite bow, "allow me to introduce myself. I am the Head of the Dream Factory in Striaton City. Reginald Beaugante. Quite pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I'll take care of this guy, N," I said, not daring to break the gaze of that sneering man. "You need to get to that computer while I hold him off."

He nodded my way. "I'll leave it to you. Please be careful, Touko."

I smiled. "Will do."

Without a glance back, N headed towards the elevated catwalk that hugged close to the walls of the room. It was hoisted up a couple yards high, ran along the walls and eventually connected with the platform on the far end of the room where the mother computer was resting.

N went off and slowly climbed the ladder towards the catwalk, but the clanging of his footsteps was lost in the rhythmic chugging that resounded in the chamber. Instead of walls, this room was lined with massive cylinders filled with pistons that thrust up and down in their confines. My eyes narrowed as I watched the machines do their work. They pulsated and roared… just like a heartbeat… an iron pulse…

"Impressive, no?" Reginald asked from across the room, following my gaze with a prideful air. "Whether you've guess it or not, this is the place where all the Dream Mist we extract gathers. We modify it, and," he gestured towards the roaring cylinders, "it is pumped out from here, up and out from the towers above. It's marvelous work, don't you agree?" he sneered again.

"I have no idea how you can do this to all the people and the Pokémon. How you can just watch them suffer without even caring!?" I couldn't rid the glare from my face, but I was fine with that. I wanted my disgust to be as visible as possible to this guy.

"Bit of a silly question you've asked there," he muffled another laugh. "It is for the betterment of our glorious nation after all."

"Shut it!" I barked and plucked a Pokéball from my waist. I called Hyle out.

"Ohoho!" he gave a wheezy laugh. "Struck a nerve, have I?" The Head sent out a Reuniclus in response. "Allow me to apologize in advance," he gave another courteous bow, "you've made me a bit of a fool with this recent scene, I'm afraid I'm going to have to make you suffer…"

"We'll see about that. Hyle! Use Assurance!" Hyle stomped forward. He poised his fists, which glowed with dark energy.

Reginald folded his arms behind his back, "Reflect." He said simply. His Pokémon immediately erected a translucent barrier around its body, reducing the damage of Hyle's attack. His Pokémon barley flinched as Hyle drove his fist into its jelled gut. Not missing a beat, Reginald called out another attack just as Hyle's hit, "Finish it up with Psychic, if you will…"

Quick as light, his Reuniclus grabbed onto Hyle's head with its bulbous arms. Hyle struggled in the grip but was unable to break free. The Reuniclus sneered and with a blinding flash, drilled a wave of psychic energy right into Hyle's brain.

"Hyle!" My Emboar struggled frantically in his opponents grasp, clawing, squealing, but he was unable to get away. I watched in shock as the psychic energy shot into his head; I watched as he writhed violently in Reuniclus's grip, spraying blood as he roared. After a time, Hyle stopped struggling. His body fell limp, and he was dropped to the ground.

"Hyle!" I tried to rouse my motionless Pokémon, pushing back tears, but he wouldn't move. He was done. I returned my Emboar, clenched my teeth and glared daggers at the Head. "You'll pay for that."

His eyebrows raised, "You're really so torn after watching one of your Pokémon fall? Would I be mistaken in calling that your weak point? Are you unable to stand the bitterness of defeat, Miss Touko?"

I held another Pokéball out so tightly my knuckles were going white, "It's called compassion. I don't know if you've heard of it! When my Pokémon are in pain, I'm in pain too. We feel each other's emotions and that's what makes us a team." I sent Terra out on the field in place of Hyle. She had an advantage here and I wasn't planning to let her suffer the same fate. This wasn't going to be a repeat of what happened on Route One.

"That sounds foolish." He watched me, sizing up my Pokémon and I with an analytic gaze, "You'll both drag each other down that way." He unfolded his arm in a guiding gesture, "Dizzy Punch, if you will, Reuniclus."

"Use Signal Beam, Terra! Before it gets in too close!" Terra didn't miss a beat, and just as the Reuniclus was closing in, fists poised, she launched the attack. A rainbow coloured beam of light burst from her jaw and closed in on our target.

Reginald's face contorted in disgust, "Dodge it!" His smooth, courteous tone had now turned frantic. I took this as a pretty good indicator that he was getting freaked out. What N said was true, this man had already lost and he already knew that deep down. The thought of losing the power he'd gained must have frightened the Head to his core.

Reginald's Reuniclus surprised me with uncharacteristic speed; it dove out of the way but wasn't able to avoid the target-zone, especially with a body as big as its own. Signal Beam caught one of its bulbous arms and seared deep into the jelled coating that encompassed its body. Though it wasn't a direct hit, nor did we hit anywhere vital, we still did some significant damage. The jell on the Pokémon's arm turned red and exploded. The Reuniclus backed off on impulse, putting more distance between himself and his adversary, as it clutched the bubbling stew its right arm had become. The Pokémon hovered above its trainer, glaring at us ferociously. Reginald echoed its emotions with a not so hidden scowl of his own.

"You're at a disadvantage, just give up now and we can call this whole thing off!" I tried to negotiate with the Head, but his expression was hard to read; I didn't know if I was making any progress, "We both know who's going to win!"

He didn't respond at first, just kept his eyes over me in thought, "Indeed. I am at quite the disadvantage, aren't I?" he turned his gaze toward the walls of the room, where the pistons continued pumping out Dream Smoke, chugging rhythmically, oblivious to the heated battle which would decide their longevity. Reginald sighed.

During this moment, where the Head's attention seemed to be occupied, I tried to find out where N had gone. Because, during the battle I had noticed that he hadn't reached the computer terminal yet, when he had more than enough time to do so. It was worrying me, and I soon found my anxiety to be justified. N was still halfway along the catwalk, nearly at the computer terminal, but he'd run into some resistance. There was someone blocking his way on the path. As I looked closer, I found it to be the black haired scientist that we'd met in the Dream Room. I couldn't see too well from so far away, but the guy still seemed injured, but despite his wounds he made every effort possible to push N back. He did it all with weaponless hands from what I could see, but a part of me feared a hidden knife or gun.

… _I knew we should have stopped him… _I was going to have to finish this battle quickly, or maybe give N a hand in the process. Maybe I could launch a Signal Beam up there and take that scientist out… or… would that do more harm than good?

Before I had the chance to think up any ideas, Reginald reached into his coat and pulled out a gas mask of all things. I stared at him in confusion. "What's that for?" I questioned, putting myself on guard for whatever came next. His actions were a precedent for something, and I dreaded what it was.

The Head shrugged, "Just evening the odds is all." He slid the clear mask snug over his face, "Reuniclus, use Psychic."

On impulse, I was going to tell Terra to combat with another Signal Beam, but I quickly realized that the attack wasn't aimed at us; it was directed at the cylinders lining the room.

I brought up my hands quickly as the glass shattered. Just like in the Dream Room, the sound was deafening. The cylinders in here were massive and many, and their broken destruction was chaotic. I clamped my eyes shut and braced myself for whatever came next. I heard the breaking, the shattering, and the eventual pattering the glass made as it rained onto the floor, but I felt no pain. When the destruction had settled, I hesitantly peeked out from behind raised arms. Glass scattered below the still thrumming cylinders, but it hadn't come anywhere close to hitting Terra or me.

I had to smirk, "Looks like you missed-" My words were choked short. A sickening, metallic entity crawled up my tongue and invaded both my mouth and nose with a grainy thickness. It hit me. I flung my hand over my mouth and nose, trying to squeeze them both shut.

"It's far too late for that…" Reginald said from behind the protection of his clear mask. "You've already breathed some in. Haha! Or were you expecting to hold your breath forever then?"

I let my hand drop forcefully and took the hesitant breaths that my lungs craved. I inhaled more Dream Mist with each gasp. He'd caught me. "You son of a…" Again I was interrupted, but this time for another reason. My vision was beginning to blur, distort and change. Everything in my peripheral seemed shadowed out, and all that I could see before me looked distorted, like I was seeing through a malfunctioning TV set. The world was dyed in pink. I began to cough, forcing that thick, grainy mist in and out of my lungs. It stung with each breath.

"_Miss Touko_…" The Head's words echoed over to me, resounding through my ears in a strange, inhuman pitch, "_You're not looking so welllll_." I tried to give that bastard a nasty glare, but there were multiple Reginalds at this point, and I really didn't know which one to focus on.

"_Dizzy Punch, if you willll,_" His Pokémon attacked in a strange, other worldly blur. His Reuniclus lashed at Terra with thousands of bulbous hands, each one hazing and melding into the next, moving with frightening speed and power.

I tried to call out to Terra, hoping that if I couldn't save myself then I could save her, but my throat became instantly dry and my words were caught. But Terra was in as much distress as I was. The Dream Smoke had affected her as well, in seemingly different ways but with reactions much the same. She could only shake her head about as she tried to rid the mist from her senses, and she was struck down by her opponent.

I could stand no longer, my legs felt like pudding and I collapsed under my weight. My body contorted; my stomach lurched. Involuntarily, my body retched and forced me to heave out gravelly coughs of blood. I was shaking madly… violently…

"_You are a fool… Miss Touko…_"

I clasped my hands over my head and tried to squeeze away the building pressure with teeth grit tight and eyes watering. Something was inside my head! There was something crawling around inside of my brain—Someone's fingers were digging through my skull! _Get out! Get out!_

"_I heard about the scene you made on Route One. Tried to start a rebellion, did you? Tried to get a revolt going, eh? Heheh, quite the misstep that was, no?_"

I tried to block out the words but they entered my ears even after I'd shoved my fingers in, and kept running through my head as if on loop.

A sick laughter echoed off the walls, "_Did you really think it would be that easy to sway these peopleee!?_" His words distorted, falling into a lower octave like he was speaking through a heavy filter. I tried to tell him to shut up, but all I heard was my Galvantula cry in pain as she was hit again by another attack.

"_Did you really think that with a few strong words you'd be able to galvanize them and get them to fight back!?" _

I looked up, trying to find the eyes of my opponent through the wall of mist that pressed down against me, but instead of Reginald I saw Ghetsis. Instead of mild injury, Terra was covered in blood, missing limbs and sagging innards. The room was simply painted in macabre visions of both the present and past entwined. My past failures, my guilt, all of it was splashed across the walls. Darkness was crushing down around me, bodies were falling, their bones were cracking. Again… it was happening again…! I'm sure I would have screamed if I was able, but all I could do was stare at the sight with wide, diluted eyes.

"**THESE PEOPLE ARE CATTLE!**" The fusion of both Ghetsis and Reginald spoke with a sneer full of crooked, red teeth. "_**THEY ARE SIMPLY MANIPULATED AND THEN THROWN AWAY! AND YOU WISH TO SAVE THEM!?**__**WHAT A LAUGH!**_" His figure grew and loomed over me, like some massive shadow that blanketed the whole room. "_**THESE PEOPLE ARE THE DEAD!**__ They cannot be saved by a dying wretch like youuu!_"

Faces were flashing before me. Vile eyes, looks of hatred and fear, a herd of uncaring glares I'd been pierced with on Route One. Terra took another hit and they laughed at me. Their bodies were crooked and black, slithering and shrieking, pointing at the blood, gurgling at my terror. What the hell was this… _What the hell is this!?_ The illusions crowded below the monolith of Reginald, scraped hungrily at his heels, and glared hatefully at me. Fingernails ran jaggedly across my skin, hands were grabbing and pulling at my flesh, but when I looked down, nothing was there. What was touching me!?

Terra was hit again, thrown into the wall behind me and crashing to the ground. Reuniclus pursued; it cut through the shadows with twisted arms poised; it reached Terra and began to tear her into pieces. The shrieking grew louder. Miscoloured blood and guts were being torn from Terra's body, one handful after the other they were being hauled out. The floor was bubbling with her green innards. My pulse hammered through my head, thumping against my ears, jackhammering through my ribs. What was this world!? What was real!? Where am I!? Who am I!? What is happening!? _What is this_!? The shrieking split my skull.

I clenched my hair, tore it by the roots and I screamed. I screamed with insanity; I screamed in torture. I howled, desperately trying to banish this malignant world I'd been thrust into. I kept on screaming, over and over. When I'd run out of air, I'd breathe my blood back in and howl again. My throat was ripping, cords crackling, blood rushed up my throat and filled my mouth. My head was being crushed by invisible hands. The air was hot, thick, and so sharp it felt like I was swallowing blades. I kept on screaming until my throat was ripped apart. After that… there was silence.

Everything around me was dark. The walls of the control room were gone; Terra was gone; Reginald and his Pokémon were gone. I couldn't see N. I couldn't see my own body. Had I gone blind? Had the Dream Mist cut my vision? Or maybe… the world around me had become too horrible for my mind to comprehend, so it did me a favor by blacking it out. I didn't know what the answer was, but I didn't care. Reginald was right. What is the point of fighting for people who wish to see me die? What's the point of fighting for those who revel in the pain of others? People who are filled with nothing but hatred and disgust, people who are drunk on their own idiocy and greed, people who won't even try to stand for themselves. What is the point of fighting for them? _There is none._

The darkness around me… it was bliss. I really didn't mind getting swallowed up like this, at least then there wouldn't be any more pain. But before I could close my eyes, and ultimately submit to that pleasure, I thought I heard something. It came out at first like some sort of static, like words spoken between endless mesh: indiscernible. But then… it came a second time, and I lifted my head in curiosity because it sounded like someone was calling my name. I listened again and leant my ear to the darkness.

I heard it… slowly at first.

_Tou…ko!_

I spotted some sort of light, well… I guess you couldn't really call it a light. It was some sort of point where the darkness was lessened: a brighter patch. Following the beckons, I pulled my heavy body off the ground and headed towards it. As the voice continued to call me, the world began to fade back in.

_Tou…ko! Get up… fight! You can't let it end here! Please!_

Who is that calling for me?

_You have to keep on fighting!_

But why?

_You have to keep on living!_

Why is that?

_You are important to this world! If you don't get up… then everyone is going to die here! Think of Miss Fennel and Amanita! Think of your Pokémon, and all of your friends! Touko! _

This voice is… familiar… N?

_Get the hell up and fight!_

My vision faded back in a quick flash.

"Are you dead over there Miss Touko? I'm disappointed. You turned out to be a rather pathetic excuse for a hero_…_"

I laughed low.

Reginald blinked, red eyes confused. "…Are you laughing?"

"…Yeah…" I wheezed in a gravely breath. From across the room, Reginald cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"I'm not a hero… am I?" Although my body felt as heavy as stone, I forced myself up. My limbs shook… but they wouldn't collapse. "I don't care what I am to the people in this world or how they see me now. I don't… even care if they hate me or not."

The Head's lip curled over his teeth in a frown.

"But you are wrong!" I roared through bloodstained lips. "Terra!" I shouted so loud that my throat felt like it was tearing, "I need you to move for me! Please!" I glared at Reginald through the thinning mist, "USE X-SCISSOR!"

With one swift movement, Terra tore Reuniclus off of her with the attack, cutting into its body with a sickly spray of goo. Terra, though trembling and stumbling in her gait, followed up the strike with another unbeknownst attack. Electricity crackled off the furs of Terra's body; in a blinding strike of light, she launched a thunderbolt at our adversary which paralyzed him horribly, even in my dementia I could make it out. I accepted Terra's actions, because even if I tried to communicate to her through words, I doubt she could really hear me or understand what I was trying to say. In the heat of battle like this we fought with subconscious communication, that and a little bit of guess work.

"People are not born dead! You make them this way! Th-this system you've created changes people into monsters! You get them hating, get them fighting each other…" I could feel my legs shaking under me, begging for rest. I wouldn't submit. "But no matter what you do to them…" I threw my arm to the side, staring that grotesque fusion of my opponent right in the bloody eye, "you can pump them full of Dream Smoke, tell them whatever the hell you want from your screens! But you'll never destroy them completely!" a rather large amount of blood was filling my mouth, making my words slurred and rough, but hardly drowning them out. Amanita had broken us into the factory, Fennel had carried us to the center; the Striaton Gym leaders had cleared our final path. They hadn't been beaten down by Team Plasma or their Dream Factories, and what made them different from anyone else!?

I could just tell by Reginald's face, just legible from the thinning fog, that he was pretty astounded that I was even standing up straight, even more baffled by the fact that the battle was just about coming to an end.

I announced it, "You can't live forever in a paradise made of corpses! I don't care how long you think you can stand up! I don't care how strong you think you all are! You bastards are going to fall!" My throat, crying in red, was only good for one last command, "Terra! Use Signal Beam!"

Reginald scrambled in visible shock. "You filthy whelp! You-you don't understand a thing!" he snarled wordlessly, "Dodge it now, Reuniclus!" and his Pokémon made an effort to try, but it was on its last legs and the paralysis didn't help matters any. Terra built the attack up momentarily in her jaws, before launching out a powerful Signal Beam, while misplaced and a bit wavering, it did its job; it hit the Reuniclus into submission and the battle came to an end. Reuniclus fell.

I cracked a crooked, bloody sneer, "Looks like… you lose…" and fell face-first onto the floor.

* * *

><p>Reginald stared, wide-eyed at Touko's motionless body. The girl lay flat against the floor, crumpled into her own blood and sick. She wasn't moving. Reginald burst out in laughter.<p>

"You-you're the one whose lost here, you filth!" he turned on his heel and headed straight towards the computer terminal.

The little hero, though she had won the match, was either knocked out or dead, likely the latter. She was down. However, and Reginald knew this, the Dream Factory was already lost. The stupid, little hero had already caused too much commotion, rose a tumult, and humiliated Team Plasma. The people saw that Team Plasma was losing, and those who were getting too smart were fighting back. Reginald knew that order could not be restored in this city without unnecessary force, and he hadn't the mood to use it. There was only one option left for him, and that was termination. The Striaton Dream Factory had to be destroyed. Self destruct.

_Such a shame this is,_ the Head thought. _I'd spent so many years building this place up, and this is what is to become of it. Such a melancholic tale. Well. I suppose that the child dies by my own hand, opposed to someone else's, and afterwards… I suppose I shall return to the homeland. Although I can imagine that a parade won't be held for my return… Lord N would surely be displeased by this failure. Perhaps I should leave this region altogether and…"_

Reginald hadn't noticed, being deep in thought, but as he reached the computer terminal above, he bumped into something. Before Reginald had time to look up and see what it was, he was thrown to the ground, and a painful weight crushed down on his body. He opened his eyes to find a Zoroark's bared fangs snarling in front of his face.

"Thank you, Laika. Just keep him held down there for a bit, will you?" N said, looking down disappointedly at the wriggling Head. Laika questioned with a nod towards the other misfortunate scientist he had run into on the catwalk, who had also been taken care of by Laika. "It's alright," he told her as he descended the steps to the lower floor. "He's still alive…" The black-haired scientist from the Dream Room had been knocked unconscious, blood had ran dry but the loss of it hadn't killed him. Now he lay curled, fetal, and red.

N ventured cautiously into the thinning fog of Dream Mist in search of both Touko and her Pokémon. N had been watching the battle from above during his squabble with the scientist, but he couldn't see much. Luckily enough, N hadn't been affected by the Dream Smoke. The Smoke was a heavy gas, not like air but more akin to fog; it was thick and did not rise above the catwalk, at least not en masse. N's head was beginning to pound… but such was the only side affect. He gathered, from what he'd seen and heard, that Touko had gone through much worse.

He caught sight of Terra collapsed upon the ground. The arachnid's body was broken and cut, bloody and bruised; she wasn't moving. N rushed quickly to the Pokémon's side and tried to rouse her. After calling her name, Terra began to respond, but only softly. N was relieved; Terra was still alive.

Her eyes suddenly brightened and black pupils grew from her blue compound eyes. She squeaked softly, questioningly. She was asking for Touko.

N looked up to the back of the room to see Touko splatted on the ground in a small pool of blood. His heart leapt, but N, true to nature, wasn't going to lose control here. "I'm going to see if she's okay," he told Terra, and raced over. He knelt down and felt for a pulse. It was dread for a moment when he was unable to find one, but N soon felt a very soft beat against his fingertips. Touko was alive, but all of the Dream Smoke she ingested during the battle and the side effects of that, worried the imposter king to no end.

He grabbed Terra's Pokéball and returned her. He then picked the unconscious girl up in his arms and made his way back over to the computer terminal. He set Touko down on the floor gently. N stared at the girl in silence, only moving to brush a strand of hair away from her frighteningly pale face. She was hardly breathing, and red streaked across her face.

"Y-you!" N turned to see Reginald squirming under Laika's grip. "You will let me go! You will let me go this instant!" There was fear on the magnate's face. He'd been beaten and he knew that now, but he wouldn't accept it.

Laika applied more force to the Head's body, cutting his words short with a snarl of her own.

N pulled himself up and walked over to the Head. He looked down at Reginald with chilling eyes. "Tell me the codes for the computer terminal."

Reginald blinked. "You must be mad!" he laughed hysterically. "You really think—You really think I'd so willingly give the codes to you!? You of all people! What a laugh! What a riot!" Reginald wriggled under Laika's grip, "What an utter folly, you brainless buffoon!"

Laika cut the Head's words short by pressing her claw against the soft flesh of his throat. N knelt down before him and watched Reginald writhe and squirm. His eyes were emotionless, clinical.

"You will give me the codes," N said with unnerving calm. "If you do not… then I cannot be responsible for the damage you'll receive."

"You can't kill me," Reginald sneered, fearful yet full of defiance. "If I die then the codes go with me! I'm the only one in this factory who knows the codes to shut down the Dream Rooms! You can't afford to…"

N waved his arm shortly, and Laika slammed her fist onto Reginald's arm, splitting the bone. The Head cried in agony, squirming erratically under Laika's grip. N grabbed roughly on to Reginald's hair, looking him dead in the eye. "There are ways I can get you to talk." Anger tainted his composure, "Give me the codes now!"

Reginald glared hatefully at N. He tried to suppress his agony and fear, and keep a brave face, but in the end he conceded. Reginald had lost.

N took a seat at the computer terminal and began typing away. N had always been gifted at using computers, even at a young age. N felt like machines were extensions of his own body, and was able to operate them with surprising fluency. Even with Reginald's reluctant guide through the files and data, N was right on the ball, shutting down one Dream Room after another until all ten of them had lost power. It was a slow process, and Reginald didn't make it easy, but Laika was a good enough motivation to get him to talk. Everything came to a close soon enough. No more bones had to be broken.

N withdrew from the data when the sound of footsteps met his ears. He turned to see a small girl, looking worse for wear, staggering into the control room. N almost couldn't believe his eyes.

"Mister N…!" Amanita gasped. "What happened!? Did you guys win!?" Amanita looked she'd been through a bit. One of her pigtails had fallen out, and she was rather roughed up, covered in forming bruises and shallow cuts, but N was relieved to see that she was okay.

"Yes." N said, turning his attention back to the computer screen, "Touko managed to defeat the Head… but in the process she took in…" N's voice faded for a moment; he'd caught sight of a strange string of data, and tried to work his way through it.

"That smell…" Amanita said slowly as she approached, viewing the shattered cylinders that lined the room as the pistons within slowly ground to a halt. "Oh my god. Don't tell me!?" She bounded up the stairwell to find Touko incapacitated on the floor.

N didn't take his eyes off the screen, "Yes she's… taken in a large amount of Dream Smoke. She needs medical attention…" N said, giving Touko a worried glance.

"I'll get right on it!" Amanita said as she hoisted Touko up on her back. "I'll send someone back to pick up these guys." She frowned at the Head and the scientist who remained subdued by Laika.

"Please do." N said as Amanita headed off, and was gone a moment later.

N let out a sigh, leant back in his chair and triple checked that all the Dream Rooms had lost power. _The Munna and Musharna should be able to get out on their own now…_

N leant back over the terminal and started to browse through the files. This was the very Brain of the Dream Factory; N was curious to see what secrets it held in its deepest darkest places. After some thorough searching, and after finding out about some of the mechanics of the Dream Factory and the mist it produced, N stumbled upon a file named PROJECT: G, followed by a string of numbers.

N stared at the file for a moment, before curiosity got the better of him and he clicked it open. What he saw came as a shock. Most of the information about the project had been deleted prior; there were no details left. The only thing that was left was the image of a bug-like warrior; the name above the image was Genesect.

_I see. _N bit down on his thumb, suppressing rage. _So it's still alive after all…_


	14. Birth from Corpses

While I slept… there were no dreams.

.

.

Chapter 14

**Birth from Corpses** (_watch the world you've created grow_)

.

My chest was burning when I regained consciousness and my head throbbed with it. My bones and muscles, and everything inside of me felt like it was melting and breaking apart. The feeling spread. My head was much the same, the pain I felt much different from a common headache. My pulse rocked through my body, and pressure gathered in my head. It felt like worms were tunneling around in my brain. It felt disgusting… and painful.

I opened my eyes but there was only darkness. I was perplexed. What was going on? I was sure that I'd got my eyelids open… so why? Why was there only nothingness? I looked left, I looked right, but all I could see was this strange, speckled darkness. It went on… and on…

I suddenly felt something. There was something on my hand. I couldn't tell what it was, for I could feel no heat or texture from it. There was only weight. What was this? Had I gone numb?

I gave a confused groan at this anomaly. What was going on?

"_I think she's coming to." _The voice I heard was familiar, but I couldn't match a face to it. It sounded distant, miles away, "_Touko? Can you hear me?_"

_Yes. _But all that really came out was a disgruntled groan.

The pressure on my hand grew, or… at least I think it did. The numbness hadn't lessened.

I tried to open my eyes for a second time, because my awakening consciousness had me starved for answers, and this time I succeeded. I blinked again and again, and the more I blinked the more I could see. The dotted blackness around me faded away and the world melded back in a blur. A dull white ceiling lay above me.

_A ceiling…_ That meant… What did that mean?

"Wh—?" My eyes fluttered automatically. Everything around me was fuzzy and blotchy. My eyes were dry, crusty and sore, and all I could do to fix that problem was simply to blink. I couldn't move. I couldn't lift my arms or my legs. I couldn't wiggle my fingers. I gave up, deciding not to force it. My vision turned out to be enough. My eyes focused and adjusted, and even though they throbbed and ached, the world around me once again became crisp.

I saw N. He was beside my bed. "I'm glad to see that you've finally woken up. We were worried that you were going to be asleep forever."

I stared at him blankly for a moment as I tried to process his words, "Where… am… I?" I was surprised by the roughness of my voice, just by hearing me you'd think I'd been screaming for hours. I wondered if I actually had been.

"Hospital," N said leaning back in his chair, "the one built into the Dream Factory, specifically."

My eyes widened at the sound of that name, and with it came a flood of memories.

A whole jumble of thoughts bubbled to the surface of my mind: the invasion of the Dream Factory, the incident in the Dream Room with Fennel and the Pokémon there, and the battle with Reginald. I'd won it, hadn't I? I tried to pry N for answers but my tongue felt swollen, my throat dry. My brain and mouth weren't cooperating and all that came out was some embarrassing, unintelligible babble.

N stared at me blankly as I blathered, as if trying to make sense of what I was saying even when he knew he couldn't. After longer than he maybe should have, he finally humored me, "You don't have to worry, Touko. The Dream Factory has been shut down."

I stared at him with wide, surprised eyes. The thought took more than a few sluggish moments to hit home, and N seemed rather amused by my expression.

"And Miss Fennel is alright too. The bullet hit her in the abdomen," he pointed to his hip, "but it avoided hitting anything crucial." A quiet squeaking caught N's attention, and he looked down at something below my bed then said, "And Marie wants to say hello too." She peeked her head over the bed and smiled at me gently, "She's been healing you in bits as well."

"I can't…" I tried to force down a painful swallow, "I c-can't… believe it…" and stared blankly at the ceiling again, "w-what's going… on in Stri…Striaton City?"

N's expression dropped somewhat, "I heard there was some pandemonium during and after our attack, but everything has settled down now. I don't really know too much of the details…" he stared absently at the wall as Marie placed a pawed hand on top of my own, which also happened to be entwined with N's. "I haven't really left this place since the shut-down. But by both Fennel and Amanita's accounts, there were a lot of people who left the city simply because they were uncomfortable with the change. But everyone who has remained has cooperated with each other and with the Pokémon. With their help… Team Plasma has lost control," he smiled encouragingly, almost as if to wean my mind off the bad thoughts. "Team Plasma have abandoned Striaton City."

I stared at N for a long time, not even daring to blink. Once I was sure that what he said was real, I spoke again, "All the Pokémon in the factory… got out okay?"

He nodded.

"H-Hyle… and Terra are al-alright too? Aren't they?" The battle with Reginald was foggy, difficult to remember, but I recalled it being a vicious one.

"They're fine," he assured me.

I cracked a smile, "That's… good then…" and I felt my eyes begin to droop.

_We won…_

_We won…_

* * *

><p>I woke up again, about a day or so later. N was still beside me, and I started to wonder if he had even left my side at all.<p>

He greeted me with a small smile, "I'm glad to see you've woken again."

And then I heard, "What!? She's finally up!?" and Fennel leaned over my bed, quite uncomfortably close to my face actually. I managed a strained scowl. For some weird reason, my face felt numb, my muscles stiff. "Hey there, sleepy head. Bout time you got up."

"F…" I said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," she lifted up her shirt slightly to reveal a patched up bullet wound. I stared at it wide-eyed, not really knowing what it was right away. Actually, at first it looked like Fennel's skin had turned white and leathery until I realized she was just bandaged.

Amanita appeared and stood at the foot of my bed, "Touko, are you alright?"

"Amanita…" I gasped. I nearly choked on a dry swallow, "Y-you're… okay!?"

She smiled bashfully. "Um. Yep! I wasn't too much help during the final ordeal… I, er, got hung up with a few soldiers… but apart from a few bruises I'm right as rain!"

I smiled weakly, but the strain on my lips was painful. "I'm glad… you're okay… we'd never have… been able to get inside the factory… if it weren't for you." I tried to clear my throat. "Thank you."

Amanita's eyes softened. "It's not a problem. I would have done anything to turn things back to the way they used to be. And since I'm here, Touko, could I get you anything? A glass of water?"

That sounded like heaven. I nodded, and then turned to Fennel. "H—how long have… have I…?" I choked on my own saliva and began to cough.

"About a week altogether," Fennel answered once she'd figured out what I was so desperately trying to say, "a little over a week, I reckon."

Her image began to blur again, and I tried to combat the distortion by squinting and blinking, but it didn't help as much as I'd liked. My head felt heavy and light at the same time. My brain was floating. It almost felt like I was about to faint. With a few deep breaths, in through the nose, out the mouth, I managed to calm myself down and keep myself conscious. Things stopped spinning.

Fennel seemed to notice my qualm, "Take it easy now. You took in a large amount of Dream Mist during your battle," she cast her eyes to the ceiling with a sigh, "and we still haven't got all the blasted stuff out yet… Hey! Slow down I said!"

I was trying to sit up, or just shuffle around a bit so I could see where I was exactly. But the simplest of movements proved to be near impossible. All I wanted to do was sit up straight, but my body wasn't cooperating. My limbs felt like jelly, and they tingled and throbbed. Trying to move my body felt like trying to operate some kind of unfamiliar machine, like I wasn't in control. It felt so strange, like nothing I'd ever felt before. It frightened me. As I moved, wires tugged against my skin. There were many tubes hooked into my arms, my wrists, some monitored my vitals, and some did who knows what else.

Both Fennel and N could tell that I was beginning to freak out. They told me to calm down and helped me sit up, because I sure wasn't gonna do it on my own. Once I was seated, Amanita arrived with my water.

"Um… the Striaton Gym leaders are here to see you, Touko," she glanced towards the door. "Should I let them in?"

I took the water from her hand and eagerly gulped it down, nearly choking as I went. The sudden arrival of moisture in my dry mouth and throat was surprisingly painful, which nearly caused me to vomit. I threw my hand over my chest and coughed and hacked for about five minutes as I tried to clear my airways. I survived eventually.

Fennel sighed, "What part of slow down did you not understand?"

N gave my hand a numb squeeze, "I know you're thirsty, but just try small sips, okay?"

I nodded then looked up at Amanita, "You can…" I paused to clear my throat. "You can let them in…" and she headed for the door.

Fennel gave my arm a quick pat, "I'm gonna head off then, okay? I just wanted to make sure that you were fine but there are a lot of things I have to take care of in the factory and the city." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "It's not easy work but someone's gotta do it." She flashed me a smile.

All I could do was blink as her words sank in.

The professor frowned and gave my head a soft rap with her knuckles, "Is anyone in there!?"

"Y-yeah," I nodded quickly. "Yes. Yes. Ok-okay. Thank you."

Fennel bid me another quick farewell and headed out the door. She was replaced by the three brothers a moment later. They carried a platter in their hands which had a bowl of steaming soup resting on top.

"It's good to see that you're finally awake, Touko." Cilan said with an encouraging smile.

I stared at them then pointed to the soup questioningly.

"This? Oh yes, it's for you," he said.

"We feel terrible about our former rudeness. The bitter way we spoke to the both of you before was inexcusable," Cress said with an apologetic bow as Cilan hooked the tray onto the armrests of my bed.

"I hope that you guys can forgive us," Chili said sheepishly.

The three of them bowed simultaneously and said in unison, "Please except this offering with our apology!"

I stared at the three of them with wide eyes. I then dropped my gaze to the amazing soup that they had prepared. The warm, heavenly scent of vegetables and meat blessed my nose. I inhaled it deeply, and the heat of it spread through my body, rooting out the frigid and metallic stench of the Dream Mist that still stained me. The warmth of it filled me. I knew right away that this soup was going to be godly.

"You guys don't need to… apologize," I tried to clear my throat again, but my voice still sounded hoarse. "You ended up doing the right thing in the end… so it's okay." I showed a weak smile that caused the three brothers to share looks of uncertainty. "I know what it's like… to be so sad that you don't want to do anything. I know what that's like…" I smiled sadly at the soup. "So I should say thank you, to the three of you." I offered a small nod of gratitude.

All three of them smiled at me.

"I'm glad to know we've been forgiven," Cress said, "however, we must apologize again, you see. Regretfully, we must take leave."

"You're going?" I asked with a frown.

"Indeed," Cilan bowed curtly, "there's much business we have to take care of in the city."

Chili beamed, "Yeah! To make up for all that time we sat on our butts doing nothing, we're gonna help everyone out as much as we possibly can!"

"We wish you a speedy recovery," Cress said.

I smiled at them, "Yeah. Thank you."

And then they were gone. I continued to sit in my bed, and stared blankly into the soup bowl beneath me, hypnotized by the curling steam.

I turned to N. "Can you bring me a mirror?" I asked him.

He blinked at me, "What for?"

"I want to see what I look like, and besides, the soup is too hot to eat just yet…" I said.

N frowned. "Perhaps it'd be better if you didn't look just yet," he tried to put it gently.

I grinned, "The Dream Mist has messed me up on the outside too, hasn't it?"

He nodded sheepishly.

"It's bad?"

He nodded again.

"Really bad?"

"…Quite."

"I want to look anyway. Now that you've said that, I have no choice but to check it out now, right?" I smiled.

N looked unconvinced, but he didn't argue with me. He walked off to a drawer in the room, rummaged through it for a moment and picked out a small hand mirror. He returned to my bedside and reluctantly handed it to me face down.

I almost laughed. He was sure acting edgy. Honestly, how bad could it be?

A corpse looked back at me through the glass. What I saw looked so starling, so frightening, I jumped and almost knocked my soup off the bed. The creature in the mirror had gray, pasty-looking skin. Its shaded blue lips were cracked and contorted into a fearful, disbelieving frown. Glazed red eyes stared back at me, sunken and encircled by shadows. The eyes watered, and were hued yellow. I placed a hand on its cheek, my own cheek, and pressed the flesh to assure that it was mine. I felt the touch. My hands below me were white, clenched, and fingernails were blackened and bruised. The creature's hair… my hair… looked brittle and stringy. I tried to get a feel for it, but horribly, I unwillingly pulled out a few thick clumps. My hair was falling out! My trembling hands clenched the strands that slipped through my fingers. I could only stare at what I'd become, what the Dream Mist had turned me into, speechless, shocked nearly to death.

N took the mirror from me, and I looked at him to find him frowning at me in pity. "It's too soon."

"H-how did…" I stared down at my quivering hands, "how did… I end up looking like this?!"

"It has to do with all the Dream Mist that you ingested during your fight with the Factory Head," N informed. "You've taken in far over the set amount, and the effects on your body have turned out to be… um, rather unpleasant."

I blinked at him, jaw slack. "Am I going to die!?"

He put up his hands, "No. You'll be okay. Fennel said it was a near miracle that you're still alive. During your battle, you'd taken in the amount of Dream Smoke that a single person would usually ingest in five days time, at most a week. The exact number is unclear at this point."

I gawped, "That much!?"

N nodded. "It's natural that your body would react in such a way. After taking in that much toxin, you aren't going to look the greatest for a while now," he ended the bad news with a smile. "But don't worry. You'll get better."

I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and sighed. "Alright. I believe you." The last thing I needed was to panic. N said I was going to be okay, and I trusted in him. "But… what about you?" he blinked at me, and I continued, "You were in that room with me too, how come you look fine?" He didn't look the least bit sickly.

"Dream Smoke is heavier than air. Think of it like a fog," he explained. "From up on the catwalk, it was unable to reach me. Judging by what I've witnessed and looked in to, the Mist reacts much the same out in the environment as well which is why the city appeared to be blanketed by a pink veil." N frowned and put a finger to his lips, "So, in theory, I can assume that the Dream Smoke must not be able to travel well in windy environments or across sea. It makes me wonder if the Dream Factory's emissions reach to other regions as well."

"Does it?" I asked, intrigued.

N still looked thoughtful, "I can't be sure. I haven't been able to put much time into analyzing the Factories or the Dream Smoke."

"I see."

I didn't want to think about it anymore, so I reached over to my spoon and tried to pick it up. But I couldn't. I tried to get a firm grasp around the handle, but it slipped right out of my fingers and clanked down on the tray. I stared at the spoon with a serious glare and tried again, but the results were the same. Why wasn't my hand letting me pick up this spoon!? My fingers felt numb and my grip was weak. I couldn't get a good feel of the spoon but I thought I'd picked it up right. It quickly occurred to me that the Dream Mist was to blame for this. It'd messed up my motor skills somehow, and now I couldn't even pick up a bloody spoon! But no way was I going to let it get the better of me!

I tried again! –clank!

Again! –clank!

One more…! –clank…

N put his hand over my own, halting the next attempt, "Would you like me to help you?"

I kept my eyes fixed on that obstinate spoon and ignored N's hand. I said, "It's okay… I can do it," only to fail again a moment later.

N grabbed onto my hand and squeezed it tightly. I found his eyes. "Touko. Please let me help you…"

There was a strange look in his eyes that I couldn't refuse, and I was soon being spoon fed. In the end, I suppose it didn't matter which way I ate it, because that soup was the most delicious thing I'd had in a long time…

* * *

><p>I was bedridden for a couple of weeks. Because of what the Dream Mist had done to me, how traces of it still circled through my body, I had to work at retraining my reflexes and coordination, and building my strength back up. Fennel had told me that the Dream Smoke I'd ingested inhibited the receptors in my brain that sent out orders to my muscles and nerves. The result? It became very difficult to move my body. I felt like a puppet on crooked strings, and picking up spoons wasn't the only thing I had trouble doing. Moving any major part of my body proved difficult, and embarrassingly enough, I had to be babied by Fennel and Amanita for much longer than I would have liked. To make matters worse, my sensations and senses were also disturbed and random. Sometimes I'd be freezing under three layers of sheets, other times I'd feel strange pinches and cuts on my skin when no one had touched me. And I had the worst case of pins and needles imaginable. It was everywhere. Everywhere.<p>

The cure? Fennel doled out the regular doctor mumbo jumbo: rest, relaxation and a steady diet were all I needed to get better, that, and she fed me these strange, white tablets twice a day, one when I woke up and one before I went to bed. I could never remember what she told me they were, if she ever told me. Once my strength was regained, Fennel said that she would help to retrain my body one step at a time.

That was my goal in the days that followed, and it was no easy task mind you. It was difficult to do something as simple as standing, never mind walking. It was like learning to ride a bicycle for the first time. Things felt off because moving felt unfamiliar and it was hard to control balance and operate my body. My limbs were sore and stiff; every single muscle and joint felt like it had never been used before, and even after they'd been loosened up, the soreness didn't go away.

I started small. I did leg stretches, yoga moves, Pilates (Fennel doesn't look it, but she was actually very flexible). I did curls, squats, lifted weights, massaged my muscles, ate more vegetables than I could fathom, and everything else under the sun as well. It was in no way easy or painless, but I didn't care how much it hurt, or how difficult it was, because being hospitalized inside of the Dream Factory upset me a bit. I hadn't gone outside since our break and enter, although Fennel and N both fed me information about what was going on outside the walls, I had yet to see it with my own eyes. And that's what forced me to move.

If I remember right… it took me a little under a week to get myself moving again, and that's when I asked N, "Can we go outside?"

He looked rather shocked by my sudden question, but he must have known that I would ask it eventually, "Are you sure you're ready?"

I stared down at the white sheets covering my bed, and I tightened my grip on the fabric, "Yes. I can do it." With a crooked sweep, I peeled the sheets away. My movements were unsteady and disjointed, even after all that practice, but I was moving… and that was something at least.

N watched me uncertainly as I threw my heavy legs over the side of the bed. I took in a breath, braced myself for the expected pain, and slowly stood up. My muscles burned in protest, begging me to lie back down, but I wasn't willing to give them the pleasure. If I lay down any longer I was bound to turn into goo.

N put a guiding hand on the back of my shoulder. I latched onto him for support as my body adjusted to the motion and weight.

"Man…" I grunted. "It's not gonna be easy… getting used to this…"

"You can go back to bed if it's too much for you," he said, "and you could try again at a later time."

"No…" I stared hard at the ground. "I'll be alright. I can do this. I know I can." N's offer was tempting, and I know that he didn't want me to try so hard that I'd hurt myself, but I was going to go crazy if I lay here any longer.

I started to walk forward with short steps, almost like shuffling really. I had to use N as my support post, because I'd be on the floor if I didn't, but he voiced no complaints. We continued forward, and when I was only a few feet away from the door I let go of N's shoulder. He looked worried but I wanted to try walking without his help.

Without his body to lean on, my balance titled and I began to wobble. On impulse, I brought my arms out like a tightrope walker and steadied myself. It worked, and my legs began to quell in their shaking, they were finally getting used to my weight. I sucked in a breath and began to shuffle towards the door. Each step I took, though painful in every motion, grew easier, and my strides grew to their regular length. With eyes down and focused on my feet, I saw the base of the door come into view. I put my hands forward, placed them over the surface and smiled. I did it.

"Your shoes are on the mat here," he said as he slid on his own pair, "allow me to get you a coat."

I slid on my old shoes, which had become cold with no feet to fill them (and had previously been washed of their sewer-like stench), and N arrived a few moments later with a jacket for me to wear.

"It's cold out there?" I asked him as I slid on my coat with slight difficulty. I was having troubles trying to get my arms through the sleeves. My arms wanted to go one way, the sleeves the other.

N stared off to the side in thought, "It might be…" he said after a moment, "but that's why it would be beneficiary to bundle up as much as possible." He smiled softly and wrapped a blue scarf around my exposed neck a few times, "the last thing we need is for you to catch sick…"

I gave his shoulder a soft pat of gratitude, before I tightened up my jacket and left my room for the first time in two whole weeks.

The white walls of the Dream Factory looked the same as the day we had first entered: clean, flawless, free of any unwanted mark or blemish: perfect, in a word. The lights above us buzzed as we walked down the halls, passing door after identical door. Nothing had changed in its appearance, but there was something different about this place, something I couldn't put my finger on. Was it… feeling? Aura?

The Dream Factory had been shut down, but it was still habited. We passed by many professors during our walk, but they weren't wearing any Plasma insignia or logo. The only thing that really signified them as scientists were the lab coats they wore. They greeted the both of us with gentle smiles as we walked by. I didn't know why they did so, and I could only respond with a confused look of my own.

I turned to N questioningly as we walked by another group of scientists who smiled jollily our way, "Who are these people?"

N stared at the group coldly as we passed by, and only answered me once they were out of sight. "Fennel told me that they were the workers in the factory who've switched allegiances now. There were people like her who were waiting for the chance to strike back, apparently." But by the way he was talking he didn't seem convinced, as if he thought they were still untrustworthy. Or maybe he was just spiteful towards them because of what they had done to all the Pokémon in here. I stared at N curiously, and he quickly noticed, "What's wrong?" he asked.

I waved my hand and continued to walk, "Nuthin'." I nearly fell over as I started walking again, but crashed into the wall instead of the floor. Walking was becoming easier, but still painful all the same.

There was something else we saw before leaving the Dream Factory. I noticed it right away, since it was the only door in sight: a black monolith against a wall of white. _Dream Room 02_.

I stared at it uncertainly, almost in mid step. Just being around the entrance and staring at its red label made me feel uneasy. It must have been because of what I remembered, the things I had seen in that room, the sickening memories I still had foggy recollection of. Even now that I couldn't see it face to face, it felt like I had imagined it, that it wasn't real or it was something out of a dream.

N put a comforting hand on my shoulder. He said, "Don't worry. All the Pokémon have been freed. The Dream Rooms are no longer in use…" but he sounded tense.

I didn't respond to N's touch, just kept my eyes on the label above the door. "Number two…" I mused. "How many of these rooms are there… or… _were_ there?" I asked.

"There were ten in this facility alone… with nine Pokémon to each room," his expression darkened as he stared the door down. "Usually eight Munna and one Musharna per room."

"I see." I reached up and grabbed N's hand and removed it from my shoulder, but still held it, "Let's get going… if the Munna are free then there's no reason to stick around." We left the Dream Room behind.

It didn't take much longer until we finally reached the way out. A chilled breath of air hit me upon our departure, and even though I was covered up, I couldn't help but shiver. I pulled my scarf up above my nose in an attempt to keep it warm. I was a bit disgruntled as we left the facility, not only by the drop in temperature, but I felt out of place as I stared around at the desolate grounds within the walls of the factory. In contrast to before, I was now on the inside looking out. The changed perspective threw me off a bit, and for a moment I could only stare. So this is what it looked like behind that wall.

The lack of any nature, plant or animal life, and the tall walls around us, reminded me of what I'd seen on Route One. But something was different here too. It dawned on me. It was so quiet… so still. The grinding of the factory had been silenced, and all I could hear was the howling of the wind. The sky was clear, cloudless, free of the Dream Smoke's pink hue. Even the air was different. It was cold like ice, and filled with the scent of soil, but it was incredibly refreshing. I could actually breathe without choking on the air. Overjoyed, I took in a few deep breaths in and out, tasting the air happily, and I tried not to burst into laughter and tears.

A few yards away the gates of the Dream Factory were left open, revealing the path to Striaton City whose red-bricked buildings peeked their heads over the evergreens. The foreboding feeling that once filled the air seemed absent, or drastically lessened.

N gave my hand a squeeze and I turned to him. "Shall we go?" he asked.

I shed my astonishment and nodded. "Yeah…" I muffled, and the two of us walked passed the gates of the Dream Factory and onto the path beyond.

A feeling of nervousness built in my gut as we came closer we came to the city. Maybe N was feeling it too, or perhaps I was just imagining how tight we were holding each other's hands. The feeling was probably aroused by my uncertainty, because I really didn't know what would be waiting for the both of us in Striaton. The Dream Factory had been shut down… what did the people think about that? After what I had seen on Route One, the disdainful reactions they had given me back then, led me to believe that I would be met with only hatred.

My fears proved not to be simple stage fright. The second we stepped foot in the city, I felt their eyes on us. Every single person we passed by magnetized their gaze on us and stared us down as we walked by. I shied away from their looks because I assumed that if I even glanced at them… then I'd only see hatred. Eyes of loathing and fear… just like on Route One… just like the Dream Smoke hallucinations had shown me. They hated me…

I kept my gaze on the snowy pavement as we walked. But that wasn't the end of it. The closer we came to the center of the city, the more people began to gather round. There were so many eyes and bodies around us, whispering and pointing in a growing tumult, I could hardly take it. I clenched tighter onto N's hand and avoided the herd of eyes as best I could, but even looking down I could still feel their eyes on me. Their bodies murmured. The voices melded together to form a single thought. I couldn't hear what they were saying… but I knew that they must be cursing us.

"E-excuse me…"

I jumped out of my skin as I came to notice a small woman standing right before the both of us, clutching a shawl to her hunched figure. "You two wouldn't… happen to be…?" she raised a bony finger curiously, eyes flashed in realization. "My goodness. Do these old eyes deceive me? You two are the ones who put that ol' factory out of business, now aren't you?"

I bit my tongue, unable to form an answer through quivering lips.

"Thank you," she said.

My jaw swung open.

I looked around towards the people who had gathered and was astonished to see them all looking at us with not anger or hatred, but instead their faces showed pride and gratitude. With the sudden realization, the drone of their words found coherency. The people said not curses. They were thanking us.

"It's about time that someone kicked Team Plasma out of here! Kudos to you kids, the both of yeh!"

"Did you two really shut down the Dream Factory!? Really!? That's so totally awesome!"

"The both of you freed those poor Munna and Musharna? Bless your hearts."

"I'm so glad you got Team Plasma to leave the city! Haha! It was getting to a point to where I couldn't even leave my house and feel safe!"

"We are truly grateful!"

"Thank you so much!"

I stared at them all with blank embarrassment. At a loss, I turned quickly to N to see if he could form a response to their gratitude, but he was much the same as I. N was only able to give a few polite nods towards the people, muttering a few odd "You're welcomes" with cheeks flushed red. Heh, perhaps he wasn't used to all this genuine appreciation, opposed to the blind adoration he must have been swamped with as a king.

The people passed on their thanks, but they didn't overwhelm us. Some people came over, bid us a good hearted thank-you and went off. It was good that way, it meant that we didn't have to force our way through a throng or anything. But the main reason for their short greetings, I soon realized, was because the town was bustling with life.

Striaton City was now absent of the soldiers that once patrolled street corners and watched from their outposts. We saw not patrolling armored trucks, and the broadcast screen in the square had gone black. The citizens had their rule now, and they were doing everything they could to erase Team Plasma's presence. We saw people tearing down flags, painting over emblems, even when N and I passed by town square we saw a group of people and Pokémon alike slowly removing the broadcast screen from the Pokémon center.

There was something… really amazing about the whole thing, and all N and I could do was look on in awe.

"Touko? N? What are you two doing out here?" I turned to find Cress and Chili, along with their Pokémon, melding out from the busy crowd of bodies.

"Are you sure you should be up and about?" Chili asked me with a scrutinizing squint. "You look rather undead." I'd gotten better during the last week of recuperation, and not just physically. My eyes had lost their yellow tinge and turned back to normal. My skin was still a bit pale but looked human. My hair, while a bit dry and scraggly, wasn't falling out anymore. I guess I looked undead depending on the beholder.

"I'm fine!" I waved away his words. "I'll have you know that I made it all the way out here… almost all by myself!" I had to catch myself there, realizing that I still had N's hand in my grasp.

"Ah. I see." Cress said as he cradled his chin with his thumb and forefinger, "You were curious to see how Striaton City has been managing after the change," he looked up to the broadcast tower, where a group of Munna were easing the screen down with Psychic.

"Yes. Things seem to be going well," N said.

Chili shrugged, "At least on the outside. Though I'm sure Fennels' told ya that a lot of people have left," he waved his hand in a gesture, "off to Castelia or Nimbasa. Couldn't handle the change. Some people just got a little too used to having Team Plasma's around, like it's a regular thing or somethin'"

"So there are still some waves of uncertainty lingering around here…" N's eyes hovered over the working detizens: analyzing.

Cress sighed and gave his hair a characteristic stroke, "Yes. But everything is going well, all things considered. We're trying to remove as much of Team Plasma's presence as possible. "Look," he pointed through the crowd towards a small hut where a group of people had gathered round.

"What's that?" I asked, squinting through the wall of people.

"We've erected a few soup kitchens and homeless shelters in town square for those in need," he informed with a content smile.

"We've gotta do what we can to help everyone out!" Chili added with a spark of determination flaring in his eyes, "we gotta make up for all the time we wasted doin' nothing! Ain't that right Simisear!?" His Pokémon hooted with the same charisma.

"Calm yourself, Chili," Cress said with a sigh, and his Simipour shook its head.

"I uh…" I paused for a moment in hesitance. "Can we help too?"

Cress and Chili both turned to me with astonishment on their faces, even from the corner of my eye I could see N showed it too.

"What are the dumb looks for!? It wasn't even a weird question!" I fumed, trying to rid the blush from my face.

Cress and Chili shared a smirk, relishing in my embarrassment perhaps?

"Sure. We could use as many hands as possible!" Chili grinned.

"Indeed. Perhaps the two of you could head out and tell people about the soup kitchens," Cress folded his arms. "Even though things appear relatively tame, there are some folk who are hiding out in the alleys or other dark corners, because the sudden change was a bit too much to take all at once. They've hid their heads in the sand, so to say, and most of them aren't aware of the relief effort. It would be nice if you could tell them that we're here for their benefit."

"Of course!" My response was instant and I turned to N for a response. He stared at me blankly and I asked, "Will you help too?"

He paused, looked at me with unreadable gray eyes, and agreed, "Certainly."

With that it was settled, though in all honesty, I was planning on helping out whether N wanted to or not. But it turned out fine in the end. He was the soup tray carrier while I passed them around: the perfect combination.

We headed off to the outskirts of town, where we had seen a large portion of Striaton City's poverty before, which I could only assume that Team Plasma had created. Back when I had visited this city during the inception of my journey, I couldn't remember seeing a soul that was without home or a decent meal. The Unovian governing powers made it their priority to keep all citizens fed, healthy, and homed. Unova was prided in their low poverty rates and prime standard of living. When Team Plasma had taken over… all of that had changed. The Dream Factories… the soldiers, those walls… destitution was now so commonplace people batted eyelashes at it now. Even now that Team Plasma was gone from here, the alleyways and the nooks had remained much the same. We walked down the garbage-ridden streets, spotting many folk who leered at us uncertainly from the alleyway shadows, and other people who fled at the mere sight of us. Windows were black, but it felt as if we were being watched from everywhere.

I still had the desire to help them.

I spotted a man, unshaven and decrepit, crouching at the ingress of an alleyway. I wasn't without caution when I approached these kinds of people, considering people usually act with hostility when they're hungry and afraid. But this fellow, though a bit bug-eyed and trembling, didn't seem too unstable.

I plucked a Styrofoam cup of soup off the small tray that N was carrying, and made my way over to the gent, "'Scuse me sir." I showed a smile in the hopes of settling him down, to show him that I meant no harm.

It seemed to work only slightly. The man watched my approach with wide, uncertain eyes. He made a small stumbling motion, torn between running and staying, but was unable to make a decision as I approached. Without much to do, he brought up his arms and shielded his body from the blow he thought he'd be dealt.

"I'm not going to hurt you, sir," I said as gently as possible, suppressing a pained groan as I knelt down before him. Bloody legs were still aching. "It looks like you don't have a place to stay right now?" I held out the soup carton, which he looked at curiously through the gap in his arms. "There are a few shelters and soup kitchens in town square. They could set you up if you need anything." I smiled encouragingly.

"B-but," the man croaked, "Team P-plasma will… Team Plasma will…!" The trembling of his body seemed to intensify, and the cold wasn't to blame.

"They're gone," I told him.

He lowered his hands slowly, intrigued by the firmness in my voice but not seeming fully convinced.

I smiled again, "Team Plasma are gone now. So you don't have to worry about them anymore," I held the soup out. "Take some."

With only a moment of blank hesitance to spare, the man sharply grabbed the soup cup and proceeded to gulp the small amount down, without the patience for utensils it seemed. I stared at him worriedly for a moment as he slurped it down, concerned that he might choke or burn his mouth, but he soon finished with a content sigh.

He flashed a small smile of yellowed teeth, "T-town square… you say?" he wheezed.

I nodded, holding the smile, "There's plenty more there if you need it."

The man returned the smile and hauled himself up with a groan, wiped his hands off on his holey old jeans and headed off. He gave N a small good natured pat on the shoulder before he disappeared.

The both of us watched him go as he slowly hobbled off towards the center of town, probably driven solely by hunger.

"I hope he makes it there okay," I said with a smile, but I was sure he would. I then turned to N to measure up his reaction, it was pretty golden.

He had the strange look of embarrassment and contentment on his face, almost like he was uncomfortable, yet strangely pleased with this act of kindness. I had to grin at him, and he noticed with an abashment.

"W-what's the matter?" he asked in a failed attempt to hide his bashfulness.

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all," but my sly grin told a different story.

I probably would have poked a little bit more fun at N, if I hadn't noticed something at the back of the alleyway. Some sort of lump was lying at the back of the path, almost hidden behind a group of old boxes and a few garbage tins.

I squinted through the darkness at the humanoid shape sprawled against the ground, "I think I see someone sleeping down there." I plucked another soup carton off N's tray, and grabbed a plastic spoon this time, before heading over.

"Sleeping?" N inched closer to the entrance of the alleyway, trying to lean the tray against his body as it seemed that his arms were getting rather tired. "It's a bit cold for that, don't you think?"

I shrugged his question away. "Excuse me, sir? Are you awake down there?" As I got closer, and the figure became clearer, my assumptions proved to be correct. There was some poor ol' guy sleeping down there. It was another man laying face down on the dirty pavement, clothed in ripped and unkept garments. It struck me as odd when he didn't respond. "…Sir?" An uneasiness built in my gut when still he didn't move. The only stir made was by his unruly hair in the faint breeze.

The soup dropped from my grasp, splashing to the cold ground once the smell of decay reached my nose. I stumbled and fell back. I couldn't remove my eyes from the frozen body.

"What's the matter, Touko?" N asked, perturbed by my reaction, as he set down his tray and hurried to my side.

I was unable to form words, or even tear my eyes from the man. As my only response, I pointed a trembling hand. N followed my gaze, composed yet questioning. He went over to the body, squatted down and felt for a pulse, only to solidify my fears.

"He's dead."

I scrambled up, finally finding my legs, and dashed for the opening of the alley. I threw myself out into the muted daylight, fell to my knees and heaved in desperate breaths, as if I had just been choked. That stench… was even worse than the scent of the Dream Mist… It was all over me… down my throat… deep in my lungs.

I heard N kneel down beside me and he began to rub my back in an attempt to soothe. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked me, sounding calm.

"I need… to go… sit down… somewhere," I told him between breaths, "…not here… not… here." I slammed my eyes shut and tried to forget what I'd just seen.

"I understand," he told me. N helped me to my feet and led me away from the outskirts and towards town square.

I rushed over to the fountain, the centerpiece of the square, and threw my head in the water. I withdrew it a moment later in utter shock from the cold, gasping. I figured the water would be icy, but the reality was still startling, but in a way I didn't care. After splashing my face a few times, which felt filthy, I took a seat on the edge of the fountain, threw my head in my hands and repressed what I had seen.

N stood beside me, watching with faint pity as I tried to keep myself from weeping. Only when the tears began to flow, he took a seat beside me and gently stroked my back.

It had happened again. Sure, N and I had dismantled the Dream Factory, we had freed Striaton from Team Plasma's grasp… but we had come too late. Just like with Nuvema… we weren't around when we were really needed. Because of how late we'd been… so many had suffered and even died because we hadn't been around to save them from the horrors we helped create. The horrors that my loss had created.

A short while of shivering and sobbing later, I heard someone calling out to me, "Touko? N? Is that you?" I peeked through the gap in my fingers to see Cilan and his Simisage heading over. I had wondered where he was when we'd met Cress and Chili before, but I suppose he was out helping the cause too. He approached with a smile that disappeared the closer he came. He could tell at a glance that something was wrong. "Is something the matter?"

I closed the gap in my fingers and hugged myself closer into a ball, not in the mood for human interaction. Cilan's Simisage sniffed at my face curiously, wondering why I was so sad. It grunted questioningly and nudged me with its wet nose, almost as if to say, "Don't cry." I withdrew from my hands slightly, just to show it a tearful smile.

N told Cilan, "We… um. We found someone in an alleyway who was… er…" he filled in the blank with a gesture, a slit across the neck I presumed.

The gym leader was silent for a moment, "I see…"

"That's all you have to say?" I said bitterly. "Someone is dead… there are probably more too, people who we couldn't save because of how long I waited… how long it took me to actually do something…!"

Cilan was composed despite what I had said, and it made me angry.

"But that's not your fault, Touko. You didn't kill anyone, and you aren't responsible for their deaths." Cilan said gently.

I looked up at him, blinking out more tears. "But I was the one who lost… if I hadn't of… if I hadn't…"

Cilan leant down and looked me dead in the eyes. His look was so firm, it surprised me. He was usually so reserved, I had no choice but to sit and listen to what he now said. "You built the gun but you did not pull that trigger." Every word was emphasized. "Why do you heap all of the blame on yourself like this? You aren't the only one here carrying that burden, Touko. My brothers and I, Fennel and Amanita, everyone in this town, and people still who live their lives doing nothing. Every person in this region holds some of the blame, Touko. Some more than others. But things won't change if we simply fling accusations or blame at each other. The important thing is that we realized we were wrong, and now we're all doing our part to help change things."  
>"We all took down the Dream Factory together. We are all helping each other rebuild after what we've lost. It is true that some people have lost their lives in the time we've spent idle, but we cannot forsake them by giving up." His voice was thick with determination. "We have to keep going on… so that no one else will have to lose their lives."<br>Cilan smiled, dropping the intensity of both his words and expression, and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Could you tell me where you found that person? It would probably make him happy in the next life if we were to give him a proper burial."

I didn't know what I should say or do. I just stared at Cilan for a moment and managed to say, "You're right…" and I broke down into tears.

* * *

><p>They ended up burying the man we'd found in the alleyway, and I was happy that he wouldn't have to lay there in the cold any longer. I hoped that no one else would. After they'd taken him away, I kind of wanted to stay around and hand out some more soup cups to people, but the sky was already turning dark. A chill was settling over the town, and people were turning in. N and I did the same.<p>

"I don't want to go back to the Dream Factory," is what I told N.

He gave me a short look. "Okay. Let's see if we can find Miss Fennel. Maybe we can ask her if…" his words fell and I looked up to see why.

Speak of the devil. Fennel in the flesh was standing at the end of the street. When she saw us, her eyes lit right up, even at a distance, and she dashed over. She started to wave her arms around like some sort of mad woman.

N blinked, "…Is she alright?"

"Touko! N!"

"…The cold's got to her…" I murmured, pulling up my scarf.

"Hey! I heard that!" she came to a stop in front of us and tried to catch her breath. She then blurted, "I found them!" with a huge grin.

N and I could only stare questioningly. I asked, "Found who exactly?"

Her grin widened, "I think I may have found where Juniper and the kids are hiding out!"

My interest was snared, "You have!? How?!"

She placed her hands on her hips proudly before saying, "I picked up a transmission a few hours ago off my short wave radio," she then leant forward: hushed. "Apparently, there's some group hiding out in the Desert Resort, so I've been told, that doesn't have any affiliation with Team Plasma. It could very well be them."

N turned to me questioningly, "What do you think?"

I cracked a smile, "We won't know until we take a look ourselves." I turned to N, holding that very smile, "Let's leave in the morning and find out!"

"Wait. What!?" Fennel grabbed hold of my shoulders and stared me right in the eye, "Are you sure you're up for more adventures?" She pried my eyelid open and peered in before I waved her off. "I'm not too sure if all the Dream Smoke has been completely flushed out of your body yet."

"I'm feeling better." But both Fennel and N were looking anything less than unconvinced, "Honestly I am. After all the fresh air I got today… I really am feeling a lot better…"

"You look it…" Fennel said as she stroked her chin skeptically. "But I don't know…"

"It's been two whole weeks!" I told her, "I can't stand sitting around here any longer. If professor Juniper is out there then we need to go find her. Building our ranks is something that we have to do," I gave Fennel a pleading look.

"Fine." It'd worked apparently, "But I'm not letting you go if you can't walk on your own tomorrow!"

I grinned, "Yes miss!"

* * *

><p>It was finally time to go. My Pokémon, supplies, and items were all accounted for, and N had his stuff gathered as well. I was able to move on my own, and even though every joint and muscle in my body ached, I could still function and that meant we were A-OK.<p>

I threw on my hat, slid on my shoes and grabbed my bag. I had told N to go on ahead, and that I would meet him with Fennel and the rest outside of the factory. As I left my hospital room for the final time, I quickly realized I had no idea how to get out of here.

I didn't know the layout of the factory, despite being cooped up in the place for two weeks. Since during that time I'd been confined to only one room and whenever I wasn't, I was always with an escort. But I was on my own now… all alone… and lost.

_Great. Just what I need. _I knew I couldn't panic. I figured this factory wasn't too huge, and as long as I stayed on the ground floor I was bound to find a way out, or find some sort of landmark to guide me. Problem was that all the hallways looked the same, all white walls and white doors. And to make matters worse, some of the few scientists and professors that still inhabited this place were all gone and out of sight. There hadn't been a lot of them beforehand, but I found myself unlucky when I couldn't even find one to guide me.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, I reached my first dead end. Well, it wasn't exactly a dead end, because there was a door at the end of this hallway. It struck me as odd, since I hadn't run into any hallways like this before, ones completely empty of anything except for a door at the end. Since it wasn't marked like all the others, I figured that it was some sort of exit. I found myself wrong as I stepped through.

The room I had entered was dark. I couldn't see a thing. My hand drifted towards the wall in search of a light switch. "Hello?" I found one and flicked it on. When the room brightened, what I saw in front of me scared me from my skin. I choked a scream.

"Really now. I can't imagine that I look that repulsive," Reginald said, unenthused.

The dethroned magnate of the Dream Factory was locked behind bars, and cuffed to a chair for added measure. He no longer wore his dignified uniform and was instead clothed in a hospital-like garment: a plain shirt and pants. His eyes were baggy and his hair, both on his head and face, was messy and unkept. And his characteristic monocle was gone. But seeing this man, even in his weakened state, came as a huge shock. He was still as imposing as ever. It took me more than a few moments to recover from the sight, but I soon came to realize that I was safe. Iron bars separated the both of us. He was locked within a cell. He couldn't hurt me here.

"You… so you're… still alive…" I said, as I tried to keep my voice steady and free of fear.

Reginald huffed, "Let me assure you that the shock is mutual, young lady. I'm surprised you can still talk and think, let alone stand on your own two feet with all the Dream Smoke you've taken. The amount you'd ingested should have boiled your brain to goo. It's a miracle you're alive."

I scowled, "Yeah, well I'm a fighter, what can I say."

"Hm." Reginald bowed his head and kept his eyes fixed on the floor. I didn't move. I could only stare at him. I noticed something odd about the magnate. Reginald's right arm was uncuffed and held up in a sling.

I frowned in confusion, "What happened to your arm?" I still couldn't remember our battle too clearly, but I didn't remember ever striking him.

He looked at me in mild surprise, "You don't know?"

"Should I?"

He stared at me seriously for a moment, and then closed his eyes. "No. Never mind. It is unimportant now." Reginald looked down again.

"Fine." I said, dismissing my curiosity once I saw I wasn't going to get anywhere. "So," I started. "You turned out to be wrong in the end."

He didn't move. "What do you mean by that?"

Despite my fear and unease, I cracked a weak sneer, "During our fight, you said that people would never change, that they would never fight against Team Plasma and rebel. You were wrong. You should have seen them out there, all the people in Striaton were working together with their Pokémon! Working together to erase all signs that Team Plasma had control." My smile grew, "What do you think about that, eh?"

Reginald was silent for a time, and then he started laughing. "Ohoho, Miss Touko, you amuse me so. Your ignorance is simply charming."

I frowned, "What the hell are you talking about… you pompous…"

Reginald looked up at me with a set of burning azure eyes, and my words fell. "I admit that I may have been wrong. I may have underestimated both your power and the strength and intelligence of the people." He grimaced, "But I don't even need to be out there to know that over two thirds of Striaton's population have picked up and left the city."

My heart sank. He was right, but how did he know that!? Someone must have told him… or he must have overheard… The look in his eyes told a different story. This guy… he hadn't left this room since I beat him…

Reginald took in my look of astonishment and heaved out a tired sigh, "You are strong, Miss Touko. With your power, I have no doubt that you could weave powerful winds of change." His expression hardened, "But your method is foolish and naïve."

I could only listen to what he said.

"Do you want to know why so many people left after your victory? It was because the change was too abrupt for them. You gave the masses no time to think or comprehend. You acted with haste, and the speedy change left them disoriented and frightened. And because they were scared, they followed Team Plasma because that was what was familiar to them. They followed their executioners blindly because that's where their comfort lies. Do you understand?" he asked, looking deep into my eyes to gauge a reaction.

I could only stare at him, trying to comprehend his words and trying to figure out if he was in some way tricking me. But I was surprised, everything that he said made perfect sense.

"I genuinely wish you luck on your future endeavors to, heh, save the world, or what have you," he said in a tone that sounded like he thought I was crazy, or stupid, or both. "But I hope you've learned from this misstep and will execute things proper in the future." He looked into me again, "It is better to extract a sword from someone's body with ease, for if you tear it from the flesh with haste, it will cut the body and create chaos. Do you understand?" His look seemed to darken, "There are much more horrible things on the horizon than what you've seen here. You better hope you're ready for them…"

"Touko?"

I jumped as Amanita peeked through the door, "What are you doing here? I was looking all over for you, and everyone's waiting outside…" her expression darkened once she saw Reginald. She looked at me in concern, "Has he done anything to you?"

I stared at the fallen magnate for a moment, but he simply kept his eyes down. "No. I'm fine. Let's go." I turned to go, but I had to stop. I faced the Dream Factory's Head and I said, "I'm not giving up."

Reginald looked at me with his head still down.

I smiled softly, "Thanks for the advice though. I'll keep it in mind."

With the help of Amanita, I was finally guided out of the Dream Factory and out into the cool morning.

"There you are." N said as Amanita and I stepped through the doors. "What took you so long?" he asked, seeming slightly worried.

"I, uhh," I grinned, "got lost."

N seemed rather unconvinced, like he knew I wasn't giving him the full story, but he didn't pry. He simply asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah." I smiled weakly, "My head… just hurts a little bit."

"If you two are ready…" Amanita broke in, "everyone's waiting."

"Right. Let's go." I said, and the three of us headed away from the Dream Factory and off to the edge of Striaton. A small crowd of people were waiting for us at the entrance, including Fennel and the Striaton Gym leaders.

"You're leaving us so soon?" Cilan asked with a hint of sadness in his words.

"Yeah," I sighed. "We think we know where Juniper is so we're gonna head off."

"We understand. But just remember, if anything were to happen, you always have this place to call home," Cress said with a gentle smile.

"Are you sure that this town will be safe from Team Plasma?" N inquired. "We may have won it back, but it troubles me. They may not take this act of defiance lying down."

"You don't have to worry 'bout that!" Chili said with a confident sneer. "If those goons show up around here we'll be sure to let 'em have it!"

"And we have the Pokémon with us now too!" Amanita added with a smile as a small cloud of hovering Munna gave a cry of agreement.

"Give 'em hell." I said with a small smile of my own.

I reached for Rhoden's Pokéball, but I was interrupted before I could call him out, "Peas wait!" someone was pushing their way through the crowd, "Peas wait, Missus!"

A small, checkered Lillipup bounded through the legs of the crowd, and a freckled brunette followed on his paws. My jaw dropped in realization. This was… this was the little girl from Route One! The girl ran over and threw her arms around my legs. Her Lillipup ran circles around N and I, jumping and yipping joyously.

I knelt down, smiling twofold, "Hey there, sweetheart! Wh-what are you doing here? How did you get your Lillipup out from behind the wall?"

She beamed at me, "Everybody in the town helpded me! My mom 'n I heard dat the dream building was shut down, an' all the people in the town chased the mean men away! You should have seen it! It was so awesome!"

I tousled her hair, "I can imagine."

"Den when dey were gone, everybody in the town took down all the walls and Checkers an' the rest of the Pokémon were able to come out and play!" she hugged me, "I wanted to see you again, Missus and Mister, because you were the ones who helpded me before. Thank you!"

Her Lillipup jumped onto my knee and began to assail my face with kisses, "Hey! Gross! I get it, I get it already!" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Maye!" a worried looking woman also wormed her way out of the crowd. By her identical hair and freckled cheeks I reckoned she was the girl's mother. "Please don't go rushing off like that. Oh…" she caught sight of N and I and pointed a questioning finger.

"Dese are the people dat helped me get Checkers back, Mama!" Maye grinned happily.

"Yeah but, you know," I rubbed the back of my head bashfully, "We just couldn't sit back and do nothing, hehe."

Maye finally released me and then went over to N and threw her arms around his legs in a vice. He looked like he had no idea how to react to that, and his cheeks flushed. "Tank you too, Mister!"

"Maye," I knelt down beside her. "I'm afraid you're going to have to let N go. We're leaving."

Her eyes widened in shock, "What? Why?"

"Well, since Team Plasma are gone… and now that everyone seems to be doing fine on their own, N and I have to leave here so that we can help everyone else in the region too." I smiled at her.

She blinked, wide eyes shining, "You'll save them too? Just like you did with me and Checkers?"

"You bet."

Maye nodded determinedly. She picked up her Lillipup in her arms, "I know if anyone can do it… it's you guys…"

Maye's mother approached her daughter's side. She looked at N and I with genuine thanks, "Thank you, for everything you've done…"

I smiled, "No problem. But it's up to you, and everyone else here, to keep Team Plasma from coming back." I looked at her seriously, "Don't give them the opportunity to sink their fangs in again."

Maye's mother smiled. "You don't have to worry about that."

I turned to N, "Well then. Best we head off."

"Oh!" Fennel suddenly gasped, "Hold on," she dove into her bag, "there's something I wanted to give the both of you."

I blinked. "What is it?" I frowned; she'd already given us plenty of food (specially cooked by the Striaton brothers) and supplies for both of us and our Pokémon. What more was there?

Fennel walked up to N, "It's for you." She handed him a disk. "This contains all the data gathered from the Dream Factory," she looked at him seriously. "When you get the chance, you can look through it all, see what you can find. Who knows what you'll dig up." She flashed a small smile, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

N nodded. "Right. Thank you."

N and I then said our departures to everyone. I called out Rhoden, and N and I boarded. We lifted off. Fennel and the others continued waving until we'd gone out of sight. We rose above the treeline into the crisp morning air, not too high and not too fast. My pulse was a bit quick, and my grip on Rhoden's feathers was maybe a bit too tight, but at this cruise control speed I was fine. As we flew, Striaton City and all those we'd saved faded into the horizon, only trees spread below us.


	15. Face to Face

"Rhoden!" I choked against the wind. "Hard right!" Rhoden just managed to wean aside of a massive fireball and it blew passed us with deafening force. I cursed as my Braviary steadied himself and got back on course, "Holy! Wh-what the hell are those things made of!?" I gasped as I tried to get a look at the ground, only to be stunned by the height.

"I don't think we should stick around and find out!" N shouted. "There's another one—!" He called out just in time for me to spot another fireball shooting straight at us, rising out from the ground like a falling star in reverse.

"Rhoden! Air Slash!" My Braviary paused and flared out his wings. He heaved, and a massive gust of wind slammed against the fireball. I thought that would be enough to knock it off course, even just a little, but the fireball hardly even trembled against the strike. Recovering quickly, Rhoden tucked his wings in and rolled under the fireball as it roared past, dangerously close I might add. It was so close that I could feel its terrible heat against my back as Rhoden spun to avoid it, and it had left behind a noisome stench that would have left a Skuntank in tears.

I suppressed a shriek as Rhoden steadied, and my hands clenched terrified to his feathers.

In retrospect, coming this close to Nacrene City hadn't been such a good idea after all. It was on our way to Route Four and the Desert Resort, I thought it wouldn't hurt to fly near the city and see how everything looked down there. Accumula had followed in Striaton's footsteps, and had more or less been freed from Team Plasma's clutches. Nacrene, rather unfortunately, hadn't been so lucky. Nacrene had become a refuge for all who had fled Striaton and Accumula after the Dream Factory had been shut down. Those staying loyal to Team Plasma, and those who continued to follow their lead had either gathered here, or had moved on to bigger cities like Castelia and Nimbasa.

I thought that flying over the town and giving it a once over wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps I could see how things were looking in there, whether it was chaotic or organized. Just a peek. Just a peek wouldn't hurt.

How naïve I was.

The second Nacrene City came into view, the Plasma soldiers down below started chucking fireballs at us in an attempt to shoot us out of the sky.

That last shot had come a little bit too close for comfort. Luckily, I could see the ocean in the distance, slowly spreading out over the forested horizon. If we reached it then we would be home free.

"Rhoden!" I shouted, hunkering down close to his body. "You have my permission to floor it!"

I could have sworn I saw my Pokémon smirk before, with one great push of his wings, he belted forward at a breakneck speed. I cursed, _almost _regretting that last order, as the wind lashed against my body. I could hardly breathe. I couldn't even open my eyes to check if we'd made it over the water yet. I just held on for dear life until Rhoden gradually slowed.

When the wind calmed, I cautiously rose up to see with great relief that we'd made it over the ocean. I glanced back to see the mainland slowly disappearing, and Nacrene went with it. A few last effort fireballs chased behind us, but we were well out of their range now, and all they did was land harmlessly in the water.

"Holy!" I heaved a sigh of relief. "Got a bit tense there, didn't it?" Rhoden cawed in agreement.

"It makes sense… after what we've done to Striaton City… I can imagine that Team Plasma will go to any lengths to see us terminated." N said, easing his grip on my waist and looking back with slight nervousness. "They don't want the ripples of our discord to rise into waves."

"Ah. Right…" I said, loosening my shaking grip on Rhoden's feathers. "Then I guess we'd better not fly over Castelia and give it a once over too then, huh?"

"I'd like it very much if we kept on target." N said quickly.

We remained in silence for a couple minutes as we glided over the rolling waters of the ocean, just thankful that nothing more was attacking us. Although I think we were both worried about another surprise attack coming from the waves. I began to wonder if there was a Team Plasma Marine Division that I hadn't heard about. I told Rhoden to fly a bit higher up after that thought.

"Touko?" N said after a while. "Do you think professor Juniper and your friends are really located at the Desert Resort?"

"That's what Fennel told us," I said, keeping my gaze forward, waiting for the sight of land.

"Professor Fennel said she heard word of a group hold up there… one that wasn't in league with Team Plasma_. _It might not be them. I'm actually wondering how trustworthy Fennel's intelligence is, or if there's even anyone there at all."

"Well…" I muttered, fidgeting with the edge of Rhoden's feathers. "It's good to follow up on any leads we can get. If anyone's there, whether they're Juniper or not, as long as they're willing to fight against Team Plasma with us, then they're on our side, right? We could use as much help as we can get."

"I agree," N said, "though I hope this doesn't turn out to be a waste of our time."

"Yeah… but… maybe it would be better if we didn't find anyone there."

N paused, "How do you mean?"

I held my tongue. "It's… it's nothing. Just forget I said anything." N didn't question any further, just like I figured he would. Doubt that put his mind to rest though.

It was just that, at the time, as we came ever closer to the Desert Resort a feeling of dread grew within me. I was afraid to meet my family and friends again after all of this time passed, because after I'd seen how Unova had changed, and how what I'd done had created such a world, I was sure that they all hated me to death.

.

.

Chapter 15

**Face to Face** (_…under the sun of god_)

.

It didn't take us long to reach Route Four: the barren route of sand and mountains that bridged the gap between Castelia and Nimbasa City. This place, much like Route One, had changed a lot since I'd last been. There were many highways running like veins across the scorching rock and sand, connecting the distant superpowers in the north and south. There was no sign of the walls that we had seen on Route One, which made me wonder where the Pokémon were if not contained in the route…

We were up rather high in the air, almost at my limit, as we made our way to the Desert Resort. We didn't want to fly too far down on the off chance that someone would spot us from their car window. From this high up we hoped that people would mistake us for a plane or something, at least up here we couldn't be clearly defined. Along with many civilian vehicles that coasted the highways below, I spotted the turtle-like armored trucks we had seen slinking around Striaton City. There weren't many of them, but the few we did see were clearly defined by their bulk and color.

We didn't dally. I kept my eyes forward and tried to ignore the heights as we headed towards the resort. As we got closer to our destination, the numerous highways below vanished, and instead were replaced by quarries and what looked like a construction site down below.

"What do you think they're building down there?" I asked N as we flew over, taking a look at the incomplete bones of iron that jutted from the ground. "It doesn't look like there's anyone around here anymore." Despite spotting some worker's shacks, we saw not a soul.

"I can't be sure," N said, scanning the sight below, "they could be extracting materials used to build the Dream Factories, but that's a guess at best. Regardless, I can see the Resort over there." He pointed yonder, and indeed he was right.

The mountain bowl that surrounded the Desert Resort was coming into view. We were lucky that we had Rhoden, or any Pokémon at all for that matter, because without them it would have been impossible to get inside. The wall of mountains that embraced the desert were rugged and windswept, nearly unclimbable to any human, and only the toughest of Pokémon made homes there, like Boldore and Gigalth. The only way to enter the place on foot was through a narrow gap in the mountain pass, but it was now barricaded with an iron gate that made the mountains seem pathetic.

We didn't linger after spotting a small guard hut at the base of the gate. We didn't see anyone come out, or anyone standing guard, but we weren't gonna stick around and wait for that to happen. Hopefully unnoticed, we drifted silently over the wall and into the ocean of sand that was the Desert Resort.

I figured that the doors sealing off the route were put in place to keep the Pokémon contained, since we hadn't seen any on Route Four, I figured Team Plasma had shut them in here. Only they weren't. There was nothing down on that sunburnt world. Nothing moved in the dunes of sand, and the only thing that stirred was the wind. _Odd…_ Although, perhaps the Pokémon, if there were any still around, lay under the sand and out of the sun. Yeah… that must have been it.

"Fennel said they'd be in the Desert Resort…" I started, "but there's nothing here but sand!" The only mark that spotted the sandy waves was that of Rhoden's shadow.

"Indeed," N said, "…hm, although… couldn't it be possible that they're using the Relic Castle as their base of operations?"

Oh, right! I had almost forgotten about that thing! "Yeah! That seems like a good place to check!" I started to look around but sand tumbled on for miles, and in the far distance the mountains resumed. "Where… is it again?"

"It should be at the very center of the resort," N was saying. "Let's fly around a bit more and see if we can spot it. I don't recall it being a very prevalent structure, so we'll need to keep our eyes open."

"Right," I said resolutely, adjusting the brim of my hat to keep the glaring sun out of my eyes. Why did it have to be so bright today of all days? "Keep your eyes peeled, Rhoden!" My Braviary screeched in response and continued to fly on.

We flew, and we flew, and then we flew some more but still we couldn't find the Relic Castle in this ocean of sand. This place was a lot bigger than I remembered, or maybe we were just lost. Had we passed by that dune of sand before? I let out an exhausted sigh, took off my hat and began to fan my face with it. The sun was sweltering from above, and the sands of the desert were only making it worse by acting like a mirror and magnifying it back twofold. Even in the winter this place was an oven.

"…You spot it yet?"

I felt N move around behind me, turning his head in all directions in the hopes of finding what we were seeking, "No…" he said in defeat.

"Bah!" I threw my hat over my head, since fanning it wasn't really helping, it was only blowing more hot air onto my face, "where on earth is the blasted castle!? You wouldn't think that it'd be so hard to find, right!?" Rhoden cawed. "What if we're stuck out here looking forever!?" He cawed again. "What if we never find anyone out here at all and die of dehydration!?" my voice was beginning to take on a certain tone of insanity. The sun… was really starting to get to me.

Rhoden cawed again, louder this time to get my attention.

"Hold on, Touko. I think Rhoden has spotted something!" N said pointing over my shoulder.

I squinted to where he gestured, but I couldn't see anything at first. I looked ever closer, desperate to see something… anything, and then from the sands I saw standing the ancient Relic Castle. I blinked at it. "That's not a mirage… is it?"

"If it is, then you, Rhoden and I are experiencing the same collective hallucination, and the odds of that actually happening are one point zero five in two thousand and…"

"Yeah, okay." I interrupted before he could go any further. "Take us down, Rhoden!"

Rhoden drifted down easily and circled around the lumpy spire a few times before touching down.

I stroked Rhoden's feathers in gratitude. "Thanks, boy. You've got good eyes, as usual." And I kissed his beak and returned him to his Pokeball. "Well, doesn't look like a mirage to me."

N and I stood in the shadow of the ancient castle. It was a sorry sight, and I wasn't surprised that this thing had been so hard to find. The Relic Castle was a crooked tower of clay and sand, without any windows and without any features. The top of the tower was slanted and caving in; it almost looked like it had been severed from something… or had once been much taller. I began to wonder, what exactly did this building look like in the ancient days? Was it a pillar of heaven, rising high into the sky to keep the gods aloft? Was it the focal point of some grand castle? A tower of divine worship? I could only guess. The secrets of this place, why it had been built and of the people who built it, were lost in the wind now.

Over the centuries its beauty had been warped. The castle had been burnt by the sun, its clay cracked and crumbling. Its body had been lashed by winds for an eternity, grainy gales chewing and eating into the stone, reducing it to the lumpy spire which rose before us now. But, I didn't care how it looked. At least it was familiar. Nothing about this place had changed from what I remembered, at least not on the outside. I hoped that the same could be said for the inside as well.

Sure, the castle may not have looked too breath-taking, but its real body lay beneath the sand. The tower was only the tip of the iceberg, so to say, and the rest of the castle lay under our feet, submerged in the earth, whose sprawling catacombs were rumored to hit every point of the desert. It would be as good a place as any for someone to hide out.

"This is the only building that we could find… so they must be in here somewhere," I started forward, and N followed. We proceeded into the squat doorway, the only visible entrance, and entered the gloom.

It was an instant relief to be out of the blazing sun. The inside of this castle, kept cool by the shadows and clay stone walls, was bliss. It was dark, but we could still find our way around without the need of a flashlight to guide us, which was fortunate since we didn't have one on hand. It was difficult walking around for a few moments as our eyes had to adjust, but things went smoothly after that. Even without a torch, seeing where we went wasn't all that difficult. The inside of the Relic Castle was made mostly of hallways; there weren't many wide open rooms or grand chambers about. The maze of passages just stretched on and on, and since we didn't have any clear destination, N and I followed it and hoped we'd run into a friendly face.

I craned my neck up to the ceiling as we walked, a bit startled by how high up it went. It almost seemed high enough to accommodate giants. That thought seemed to occupy my mind for a while until I was drawn to the many hieroglyphic runes and drawings that illustrated the walls. I paused for a moment and tried to decipher the ancient text. I couldn't understand much of what I saw, not only because I was unfamiliar with the writing, but most of the etchings had been eaten away by time and worn down by all the sand that constantly trickled from the ceiling.

But what I could see was captivating, like looking into the past. There were abstract portraits of ancient man. Kings were perched on thrones, subjects bowed. Women prepared food and held pottery and jewels. Children played with Pokémon. Masked men prepared the dead. Mixed in with the art of the people were dog-faced men, humanoid falcons, and an etching of a great, white dragon that tumbled through the clouds and blew wind into the Sahara. There were strange symbols that lined each of these drawings in a vertical fashion. The text must have been explaining, or telling a story of what they showed. Looped crosses, half moons, hooks, snakes: their ancient language covered the walls.

As I went a little further down, I saw a something which looked to be some kind of star map. I wasn't sure how accurate it was, but it was excruciatingly detailed, showing what looked like planets, their sizes and their rotations around the sun. It made me wonder. How did the ancients know the paths of the stars, how to measure times and the seasons, and how to build such grand monuments? Who had taught them such things, or… did they learn it all on their own?

I noticed something intriguing on this star map. There were all of the known planets, as well as our own earth that circled around an ancient sun, along with many stars and constellations. But I noticed something else. Near the very edge of the star map, right at the border, was some strange object. It was drawn differently from everything else, which drew it to my eye. It seemed to be painted in a color that hadn't faded even after all this time. All the other planets and stars were simply scrawled down in black, as were their undeciphered descriptions, but this one had no description, and it was painted the color of ice.

I looked in closer. What was this? It was so far apart from all the other constellations and planets that it looked like it didn't even belong on the star map, but its orbit was charted—faintly in a line worn away, in a large and wide oval. Its course ran right through the earth, as if it had come from here… or had already made it back…

"…Hey, N. Take a look at this thing. What do you make of this?" I turned to an empty hall. "…N?"

He was gone.

My heart fell. _Uh… oh…_

How long had I been staring at those hieroglyphs for? Certainly hadn't been that long. He must not have gotten off too far… right? I sped off in search. My heartbeat began to quicken, and my nerves started to get the better of me. "N!?" Still no response.

I turned a corner, but was greeted with a dead end. I sighed. _Oh man. Where did he go? _I was about to leave the hall and resume my search but an icy chill ran down my spine and rooted me in place. I saw something at the back of the corridor. It looked like a human at first and I jumped in defense, but as my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw this was not the case. The figure I had seen at the back of the hall was actually, what appeared to be, an ancient coffin made of the most beautiful gold. It stood, propped upright against the wall, as if standing and waiting for someone who would never come.

I had to sigh. Wasn't I sure getting jumpy? I smiled half-heartedly at the gilded coffin. "Sorry for disturbing you, just go back to sleep." I told it.

I was about to leave, but before I could, a dark glow began to slither out from the cracks and stones in the walls. It was vile and black, and with it came a horrible chill. I stood unmoving as I watched the mist thicken and writhe, and it built around the golden coffin and gobbled it up. I heard a thumping… a pounding, and when I saw the coffin begin to shake, I realized that the sound was coming from _inside_…!

Suddenly—two red eyes shot out from the darkness! I jumped, breath caught in my throat, legs trembling. My mind screeched for me to run away, but my legs had become lead. The eyes burned brighter in the darkness. Suddenly, up from the sands rose a party of mummified corpses. Their flesh was rotted black and only held together by ancient bandages. They sneered at me with their decayed teeth, and I reacted in the following manner:

I screamed, spun around, and ran as fast as I possibly could away from that sight.

_WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!? _I ran on in panic, not daring to break my mad dash to glance back to see if the mummies were following me. _There's no freaking way that could have been real! The sun must have gotten to me outside…_I heard a clatter behind me._ Oh Arceus, I'm going to die! _I ran faster.

I noticed a corner up ahead and dove for it. Before I could even take another step forward I crashed into something, and hard. The force and the speed I'd been going was enough to knock me right down on my ass. I didn't have the chance to look at what it was before I had fallen, but I could only assume the worst. I cowered and brought up my arms in defense. Another ghost! Another corpse! It was a…

"Touko?" I peeked out to see N standing there. He looked at me curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Oh my god!" I launched to my feet. "The-the-there was this-this thing and then—like—a chill in the hall!" I blurted, pointing frantically behind me, "these-these bodies came up from the ground and they were like BLRAHH, and then-then they were coming at me and then I WAS RUNNING!" I blathered without pausing for breath. N stood there and watched me patiently. He looked like he hadn't a clue what I was talking about.

"Hold on for a moment!" he interrupted with a smile, bringing up his arms haltingly. "I've found something really amazing…!"

I stood there, jaw slack, trying to catch my breath as N turned around to pick something off the ground. I frowned as he peeked over his shoulder and showed a wolfish grin. "You ready?"

"Uhh…" was all I could say before N turned around and held out a small Darumaka in his hands. All I could do was blink at the thing as it gave me an ear-to-ear smile and wiggled its stubbly arms in N's grasp.

"Cute, isn't he?" N asked, holding a wide smile as he pet the chubby little thing, "you see, I was just walking by when I thought I saw something resting in the sand! I looked down and found this Darumaka here, don't you think it's—," I blocked out N's gushing when I felt a sudden chill run down my spine. The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention, and the chill shivered through me, all the way down to my toes. My heart skipped a beat. It was back!

N suddenly stopped and stared deadpan at whatever was behind me, which only confirmed my fears. I felt something brush against my leg and I looked down to see the same black fog from before slithering around my ankles. I lost it. With another cry of terror, I dove behind N and used his body as a shield.

"Touko." N said, handing the Darumaka over to me, "Hold onto him for a moment, will you?" I took the little red blob without protest and watched in awe as N faced the dark fog, and met eyes with the corpses strung up in its gloom.

The fog seemed to grow denser, as if in anger, as N walked over. The pounding within the coffin grew louder. He stopped right before it and said, "You're a Cofagrigus, aren't you?" and the mist froze.

I watched in shock as a coffin Pokémon melded from the haze. The four of its ghostly arms grasped absently at the air, and its body shook back and forth as if a corpse was trying to break out. The Darumaka and I looked on in astonishment as N and the Pokémon seemed to be having some sort of conversation. I was trying to get over nearly suffering a heart attack, so I just sat and watched.

"Touko," N turned to me with a pleasant smile, "could you come over here? You don't need to be afraid, he won't hurt you."

I blinked absently at him and looked down at the Darumaka I held. It smiled at me and chirped encouragingly. I swallowed, pulled myself up and headed sheepishly towards the Cofagrigus. Despite what N had told me, I was still _a little_ nervy.

"This Cofagrigus wants to apologize to you, Touko," he said with a smile. I looked up towards the Pokémon who bowed its head. "He thought you were a grave robber, that's why he was chasing you…"

The Pokémon bowed again, moaning softly.

"Oh—that's…" I grinned in relief, "it's not a problem. Really, whew, you certainly gave my heart a good scare there." I brought my hand to my chest to feel my pulse still thumping erratically. "Although, I'm wondering…" I looked up at the Pokémon questioningly, "Why are you worried about there being any grave robbers here? Since the gates to the resort are closed up… there shouldn't be any people here."

The Pokémon answered in a foreign tongue, wailing softly. "He says that a group of suspicious men entered the castle not long ago and headed down below…" N translated, frowning slightly as the Cofagrigus explained.

My spirits rose, "Do you… think it's professor Juniper's group!?"

N's eyes narrowed, "It could be. I suppose we'd better go and find out." He didn't sound very thrilled about it though.

"I'm game," I said with a grin, and the Darumaka I held chirped happily. "But you said… they went down below?" I stared at my feet, and the Darumaka echoed my actions, "how are we supposed to get down there? This place is like a labyrinth. By the time we even figure out how to get down there, they'd be well gone."

The Cofagrigus spoke up, creaking softly to a fro. "He's saying he knows of a way we can use to get down," N translated.

"A secret passage!?" I gasped excitedly.

The Cofagrigus nodded with a sharp-toothed smile; it turned its back and drifted silently down the hall. N and I followed the ghostly Pokémon for a while as it escorted us through the catacombs.

We were led to another random hall out of many, which at first glance didn't seem to go anywhere at all; it just stopped at a two way junction. I stared at the wall in confusion, right where the Cofagrigus had stopped, "I thought you said there was a passage way here?"

In response, the Cofagrigus reached down to a large block in the wall that looked out of place from its kin. It then wriggled the brick free to reveal a darkened passageway that descended immediately downward.

"Ohh!" I scrambled to the edge and peeked down eagerly, but I wasn't able to see more than a few feet in front of my face. It was advanced darkness down there.

N inched in beside me and peered into the gloom as well, "It looks like it goes directly down from here," he noted, "it doesn't look like there are any stairs to speak of either. Who knows what's waiting at the bottom…" he mused, cupping his chin in thought. He turned towards the Cofagrigus and thanked it for its escort. The Pokémon nodded and disappeared back into the walls.

"I can't see a thing down there…" I said, leaning further in, smelling the moistness of the passage. It smelt something like clay. "How are we supposed to see where we're going?"

Almost as if on cue, the Darumaka chirped loudly, gaining our attention. The little guy had a small flame burning on its palm like candle light and now provided a small glow around us, and would do well to light our way. N and I shared a look of brilliance and we prepared to head down.

"Let me offer to go first, Touko. We don't know what will be waiting for us down there so… hey!" I was already climbing into the narrow entrance, with the Darumaka hooked under my arm.

"You better hurry up!" I called back to him. "You're gonna get left behind!" and I slid down into the depths. The slide down was a bit underwhelmingly short; only after a few moments I crashed into what felt like a pile of sand.

The Darumaka lit a flame in its paw and provided a small glow around us. I heard N slide down a moment later and I helped him up.

We had entered a cramped passage which shot directly forward into darkness. There was no way out but to follow the path. So off we went. I held the Darumaka out in front like a torch as we went on. This path was a bit different from what we'd seen on the upper levels. This hall was much more airtight and squashed together, but maybe that was because it was supposed to be secret. Much like the halls above, this pathway was also covered in hieroglyphs, and these ones were much more coherent and in much better condition than the ones up above.

"Hold on for a moment," N said, catching my arm. "Bring the Darumaka-light over here. I think I can make out what its saying."

"Really!?" I gasped, leaning in close and holding up the light.

"Look." He said, tracing his hands along the etchings, "It seems to be telling a story," he glanced down the hallway, "…and I think it continues on the further we go."

"What's this one saying?" I asked, taking a close look at the faded illustrations.

"It looks like…" N squinted at the drawings, analyzing them, "this etching is showing the people who used to live here… their whole civilization." He pointed to a drawing of the sun at the peak of the picture, "It looks like they had a prosperous life… all because of the sun that nurtured their crops and in turn… nurtured the animals and the people."

I followed the drawing with my eyes, watching its story unfold as I continued further down. The people beneath the sun rejoiced; the flames above harbored their life; the sun warmed the earth and carried the crops from the ground, fruit bloomed. Life prospered and grew.

The next panel over showed the sun had gone black. A volcano had erupted in this long forgotten painted world. A deluge of ash poured from above, washed out the heavens, dominated the sky and blocked out the sun.

N observed the panel, "I had heard that some of the many mountains surrounding this resort have known to be volcanically active." He turned to me, "There are still some dormant volcanoes around here even today."

"You serious…?" I said nervously.

"You don't have to worry about it," he showed a smile, "dormant means that they aren't going to be erupting any time soon, and even if they did… they wouldn't be as devastating as this one was."

After the ash had blocked out the sun, the crops below withered and dried up. The livestock, with nothing to eat, grew ill and fell, and the people slowly started to follow suit. The sun is the giver of all life, without it even the earth shall wilt. The depictions of this event, that may or may not have even happened, were vivid and intense in illustration alone. The story they scrawled did not need to be told by tongue; the illustrations spoke louder than words ever could.

I quickened my pace to the next panel in the cycle, eager to find out what became of the ancients. When I arrived I saw a creature in the sky. A brilliant, six-winged moth blazed in place over a sky of black, ignited an inferno into the heavens and replaced the sun. The crops were drawn again in full health, and the people, overjoyed, worshiped the deity.

"That Pokémon…" N observed, staring at the final carving in the cycle, "it looks like a Volcarona." He cupped his chin, "Perhaps this castle was built in devotion for the Pokémon. The ancients clearly revered it."

"Do you think that there's still a Volcarona in this castle somewhere?" I wondered aloud.

N's eyes narrowed, "If there is… why would professor Juniper be seeking it out?" the skepticism he held on his face seemed to grow.

"It seems like a pretty powerful Pokémon, if it's strong enough to replace the sun… or are you thinking that it isn't Juniper who wants…"

"The Cofagrigus we met said he'd seen a suspicious group of men who'd entered the castle not long ago…" he frowned.

I held the Darumaka-light close to my chest, "You don't think… it's Team Plasma?"

N stared at me seriously for a moment before saying, "We have to hurry."

We had reached the near end of the pathway by this point, and we soon spotted a light at the end of the tunnel. We emerged into a grand, spacious chamber that stretched high above our heads and sprawled out to the sides. Massive stone columns lined the room and held up the fragmented ceiling where arcs of light poured down onto the dust. The shift in dimensions threw me off a bit and left me stunned to drink in the sights. An elevated plateau rose before us and dominated most of the room. It was held aloft by a massive block of stairs which led right up to the altar of Volcarona.

There was not a Volcarona at altar, but instead… someone stood there. His back was towards us, half in shadow and half in light. I almost couldn't recognize him at first, but when I had… I thought I must have been dreaming. It was the Second N.

"That's—!" my breath caught in my throat.

Even though my voice was barely above a whisper, he somehow had heard me. The Second N cast a curious glance over his shoulder and he saw us standing there. In the silence his eyes illuminated.

"Well, now. This is a bit of a surprise," he turned around to face us with a smile on his face. "You're real, aren't you? You're not some kind of trick the ghost Pokémon are playing on me?" his eyes seemed to glimmer. "No. I can tell. I can tell that you're the real thing. Then, I suppose I should say, it's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face, N… and the White Princess." His smile grew. "Fate certainly works in mysterious ways, don't you agree?"

He was not clothed like a king. He wore not a golden crown on his head, nor a robe of silks or furs. He had on a cream white turtleneck that had of it no design, worn jeans, and boots that almost went up to his knees. The simplicity of him... was terrifying.

"Who are…" I struggled to speak. "_Who the hell do you think you are…!?" _My words came out a hiss.

The second king smirked, "What are you talking about?" and said in a voice smooth as silk, "_I am N._"

N and I were stricken with silence, and not simply because of his words. The man who stood above us seemed just as imposing… just as enormous as he had from the broadcast screen that day. This person, whoever he really was, resembled N right down to the last… I stopped with a sudden realization. As I took a closer look at the king, I noticed that there were some things that didn't fit the original. His darker hair that flowed long, unbound, and messily about his body, bluish eyes, the slower, more melodic sound of his voice. All of these were things that I hadn't noticed on that screen. Most defining of all was something that I could only experience face to face. It was his aura. The way he acted, his gestures and movements… they weren't N's… they belonged to somebody else. Though I figured only those who knew N intimately would be able to tell that apart.

I bit my lip.

"Actually," he said, running a hand through his hair, brushing the bangs away from his face. "It might get a bit confusing if you were to refer to the both of us as N…" he tapped his finger against his chin, clearly in thought. He smiled and declared, "You two can call me Christophe then!" then leant forward and cupped his hand around his mouth secretively, "_because that's my real name!_"

"Why are you doing this!?" I retorted. Just looking at him was getting my blood to boil.

Christophe smiled (strangely without malice) and crossed his arms over his chest, "Oh, I have my reasons, let me assure you, though I would hate to waste time explaining it to you… it is a rather long story you know…" he seemed to zone out for a moment, twirling his hair absently around his finger. "Ghetsis has ordered me to kill the both of you… but I don't see the fun in that." He held his smile, and the joy in it seemed far too genuine for who… for _what_ he really was. "It hasn't been very long since you've escaped from the castle, yet you've already won back two cities from Team Plasma's influence," he clapped regally. "Bravo! Bravo! That couldn't have been an easy task. You'll have to tell me all about it sometime, okay?"

I glared at him, unable to find the words to say. Why was he praising our actions? Was he mocking us, or did he really mean what he said? I kept quiet on the risk of acting stupid.

"Have you captured the Volcarona here?" N asked, suddenly speaking up. In turned to him in shock. I had nearly forgotten that he was there. He looked composed, emotions drawn back behind a wall, completely different from the man I'd seen below the screen in Striaton. But his hands… I noticed they were shaking…

Christophe grinned and raised his eyebrows like he was impressed, "On the money!" and clapped again. He pulled out a violet Pokéball from his belt and tossed it up and down, "You see, we can't just leave powerful Pokémon lying around in the open like this. It'd be unfortunate if legendary Pokémon fell into the wrong hands…" his expression dropped slightly and he put an end to his fidgeting, "Although this one doesn't seem to be as great as the illustrations claim." He looked hard at the Pokéball, suddenly serious, "Even gods can be captured." He sounded like he was musing now.

"I'm not going to let you leave with that Pokémon," I said, reaching for my belt.

Christophe blinked, "A battle? I'm sorry, but I haven't the time. A king's work is never done, you know…" he turned on his heel and headed towards a second staircase which rose up behind Volcarona's altar. It went right up to the ceiling, and I figured that it led outside. "It was nice meeting the both of you," he said, bidding us with a wave as he walked.

"Hold it right there!" I was about to call out a Pokémon, but was stopped.

"I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to attack our lord N," a member of the Seven Sages, dressed in rich emeralds, appeared from behind a stone column. Had he been there the whole time?! "I am Ryoku of the Sages. I shall not allow you to sully the young lord's hands. I shall end you here." Ryoku clapped his hands loudly, and a duo of visored soldiers arrived from an entryway near the far side of the chamber.

The duo of grunts called out a Maractus and Crustle respectively. I cursed, watching the second king go over their heads. It was unavoidable I guess. I turned to N, "Let's team up!"

He looked at me and nodded. N was about to reach for a Pokéball but was stopped by the Darumaka. It stood before him and faced down our adversaries. He blinked, "You want to help?" It chirped determinedly. N smiled at its eagerness, "Alright! Let's go!"

"Hana! I choose you!" Sending out my Carracosta, who was both water and a rock type, left me at a pretty steep disadvantage, but it was the only immediate way we were gonna get rid of that Crustle.

"I'll cover you," N said.

"Thanks. Hana, Aqua Jet on that Crustle there!" A torrent of water washed out of Hana's shell and surrounded her. She knelt down and prepared to launch forward.

"Think I'll let you?!" One of the grunts, who I identified as female by her voice, acted with haste. "Maractus, use Needle Arm!" The cacti Pokémon shuffled forward, shaking its body like some sort of maraca as it went. It was much faster than I expected. It was closing the gap fast and Hana hadn't moved forward yet.

N was on the ball, luckily, "Darumaka! Use Fire Punch!" and that little guy was faster than I thought he'd be. He managed to counter the Maractus's attack just in time, but the attacks had hit both quickly and simultaneously, the attacks canceled each other out and no damage had been done to either side. But that didn't matter because it had bought us time. Hana shot forward, straight towards the Crustle.

But the second grunt was prepared for that attack. "Use Withdraw, Crustle!" and his Pokémon slunk into the slab of rock atop its body. Hana continued forward and lashed the Pokémon's body with a wave of water, wearing away some of its rocky shell.

Hana stepped back after the onslaught, curious to know if it had knocked the Crustle out. The crustacean remained dormant for a few teasingly long seconds before emerging in a flash. I cursed under my breath. It had managed to hang on… but if it hadn't been for that last move it would have been done. However, I quickly noticed by its strained and sluggish movements that our attack had still hit hard.

_One more hit should do it…_ "Hana!"

"Use Rock Slide, Crustle!" Before we had a chance to launch a rebuttal, the Crustle raised its claws up in the air and smashed them upon the ground. A shower of rugged boulders fell down from the roof.

My brow furrowed, "Block it, Hana!" Hana reacted accordingly and curled into a ball, letting the rocks strike her hardened shell. I didn't understand why this grunt was using a rock type move on a rock type Pokémon like Hana. That was until the attack ended.

"Hana, you okay?" But she still remained curled, trembling slightly. I grit my teeth. She had flinched! I whipped toward the Maractus to see it heading over. _Oh hell!_

"Use Mega Drain!" Its partner called, and a plethora of vines shot out from the flowers on its head and arms.

"N!"

"I've got it! Darumaka, use Flare Blitz!" I thought I'd misheard what he'd said at first, but the little Darumaka quickly burst into a ball of fire and sped right towards the Maractus. The vines that would have destroyed Hana were quickly reduced to ash, and the rest of the Pokémon followed. Maractus was knocked out. Its charred body fell to the ground. The Darumaka leapt back and doused its own flames. It landed shakily, recoiling from the powerful attack.

Who would have guessed such a little thing could be packing so much firepower? Even more, I gave N a curious glance, how did he even know that Darumaka knew Flare Blitz? I figured that the Darumaka must have told him at one point, but I couldn't be sure. Either way, it was time to end this battle.

The second grunt looked distressed at his partner's defeat. I used this to my advantage, "Finish it with Water Gun, Hana!" The battle came to a conclusion. The grunt was too surprised to call out an attack, and his already weakened Crustle was washed away.

The grunts withdrew their defeated Pokémon and stepped away from the battle field. Ryoku took their place.

"Impressive." The Sage said, "You two are a powerful team." He drew a Pokéball from his cloak and my heart jumped. "How well will you do on your own I wonder? Now," his eyes lingered over us, "which one of you do I have the pleasure of fighting?"

I sneered. Wasn't he sure cocky? "I'll take you on—" but N put up a halting hand. I let my words drop as he walked forward.

"Let me have this one." He said in an eerie monotone.

I frowned, unable to get a look in his eyes, but his back seemed imposing. "…you sure?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

I wasn't going to argue with him.

The Sage's eyes narrowed, "I see. Cofagrigus, come to my aid!" The animated coffin emerged before us and its tormented cries filled the air.

N stared it down solemnly before reaching for his belt. Before he could grasp a Pokéball, the Darumaka stepped forward and seemed to offer its assistance again.

N smiled curtly, but it seemed forced, "It's okay. You're hurt from that last attack. You need to rest up now, okay?" The Darumaka seemed uncertain and N's smile only seemed to tighten. "I'll be fine." And he dropped his expression and stared venomously at the Sage. "Go! Laika!"

That was a good choice. That Cofagrigus wasn't bound to last too long against Dark type attacks, and the Sage seemed to know this.

Laika snarled at the Cofagrigus, prickling the hairs on her mane. "Tell me, Ryoku," N suddenly spoke up. "The man who has my face… who is he?!" He demanded, and I shrunk back at the harshness in his voice.

The Sage sighed and closed his eyes. "I'll be truthful with you, my lord. I do not know."

My eyes widened. I wasn't expecting that kind of answer. The Sages knew that Christophe was the fake?

"There was a great unease after your departure, my lord. The Sages knew you had disappeared and your empty throne echoed uncertainty. We knew it needed to be filled, lest the soldiers, and worse yet, the citizens discover what had happened. We had thought of trying to retrieve you, but before we could… before the cries of the empty throne could reach the ears of those below… he appeared. He cut short the disruption and took your very role as the King of Team Plasma. It was Lord Ghetsis who had brought him in, yet I am not alone in having no knowledge of his origins, or what reasons he has taken this role for, if there are even any to be found. It is not our place to question, for he has stabilized the world now." Ryoku opened his eyes, "Cofagrigus! Shadow Ball!"

N ground his teeth, "Dark Pulse, Laika!"

Laika glowed with a malevolent crimson. She raised her arms and brought them swiftly down, unleashing a pulse of energy unto her foe. The attack was so strong that it shook the very bearings of the room. I felt it even from where I looked on, and I couldn't help but flinch. Ryoku's Pokémon, needless to say, was obliterated. It clunked lifelessly to the ground as the Sage withdrew his fighter with a faint scowl. Ryoku seemed to know full well how strong the former king was. He already knew the battle was lost.

That didn't stop him from seeing this through to the end, "Sigilyph, this is out last gambit!" but being a Psychic type, Sigilyph didn't have much of a chance either.

"Before you strike, my lord, heed my words," the Sage said, folding his arms into his massive sleeves. "Leave." Both N and I looked astounded. "I am impressed that the two of you were able to free Striaton and Accumula town from our influence, but that won't last for long, and I highly doubt that you'll be able to yield the same results with the rest of Unova. This nation is crumbling, and the rest of the world will soon follow." Ryoku spread out his arms, "Abandon this sinking ship while you still can! Save your own lives and leave this nation far behind, for you cannot save it."

"I'm not going to do that," N cringed, "there is no way that I'm going to turn my back on all the Pokémon here! After what you've done to them! Don't make me laugh!" He rose his voice, and it echoed off the walls of the ruin, "I will not let you use my face to breed hatred onto this world!"

Laika surged forward and the Sage reeled in shock, "Use Sky Attack!" he blurted in the hopes that he'd gain the hit, but that didn't happen.

"Use Night Slash!" Laika obeyed, and her claws gleamed scarlet. She bounded upward as the Sigilyph hit thin air, and as it remained stunned below, Laika brought her fists down with crushing force and shattered its fragile body.

Ryoku watched in shock as his final Pokémon was reduced to pieces before his eyes. He showed a faint frown and returned it to the Pokéball. The Sage turned to N and said, "It's not too late to get out while you can."

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" N roared with a sharp wave of his arm, causing even Laika to jump.

The Sage frowned and accepted his defeat. He turned his back on us and headed to the surface. We watched him go and after he had left, N returned Laika to her Pokéball and praised her faintly for a job well done. After she had been returned, an unsettling silence fell upon the chamber. I looked at the back of N's head questioningly, but he didn't turn around to look at me. He had been fighting… so ruthlessly, in a way I hadn't seen him before in many years past. Even as I thought about it, the last time I'd seen him act so merciless was the last time… I had fought him...

Before I could call his name, N took in a shuddering sigh and stalked over to the first row of the altar's steps. He sat down and buried his face in his hands. He probably didn't want me to hear it, or see him in such a state, but I could tell that he was crying. The Darumaka could see it to. The little thing waddled up to him and looked up at his face questioningly. N didn't respond. The Darumaka, still desperate to cheer him up, wrapped his stubbly arms around one of N's, but the tears didn't stop.

I found myself unable to watch any longer. I walked over and stood before him. The broken light from the ceiling cast my shadow upon him. N slowly looked up at me with questioning eyes awash in tears.

"Tou…?"

Before he could say a thing more, I wrapped my arms around him, brought his head into my chest, and held him.

"It'll be alright," I told him, running my hands through his hair, gently, softly. My voice was a reflection of my actions, "Everything is going to be okay, N…"

He broke down. Every barrier that he'd stacked over his emotions crumbled simultaneously, mere pebbles to the flood. He held onto me tightly, desperately, and let everything out. There were no words. There didn't have to be. I felt everything from him, all of that pain.

"It's going to be okay…" I continued to soothe him, biting down on my lip as I tried to keep my own tears from flowing, "I'll be here for you, always." And I planted a soft kiss on the top of his head.

The Darumaka beside us gave a chirp of agreement and gave N's arm another hug. It snuggled into the sleeve of his arm and glowed warmly.

It was like that for some time… at one point his tears stopped, but he didn't let me go. The chamber was empty… and silent…

"I'm sorry," he sniffled, withdrawing from my embrace, bringing up his hands to wipe his cheeks. "I've gotten the front of your shirt all wet now…" he said apologetically.

"It doesn't matter," I said with a smile, and hauled myself up. "It'll dry."

N's face softened, red eyes turned warm. He stood himself up, but noticed quickly that the little Darumaka from before was holding tight around his leg. He blinked, "What's wrong? Do you want to come with us?" and it chirped joyously. N showed a smile so big you'd never think he'd been crying mere moments ago.

"That's good to hear!" N rustled through his belt and picked out a Pokéball. He leant down and held the Pokéball out. With a smile, the Darumaka pushed down on to the release button and was sucked inside. The ball gave a few short quivers before it 'pinged' in confirmation. The Darumaka was caught.

N looked back to me after that was all said and done. "It seems as though Juniper and your friends are not around here after all."

"Yeah," I folded my arms. "Looks like we've hit another dead end here. Weird. I thought Fennel's intel would be pretty reliable." I looked up at him, "Don't suppose there's a chance that they're still lurking around this castle somewhere, eh?"

"I doubt it, and I feel as if we'd be wasting a lot of time if we continued to search here." N said.

I let out a heavy sigh. "Well. That's that I guess. Let's just get out of here for now. Maybe when we get outside and get some fresh air we can think about the next step."

Christophe and Team Plasma were probably long gone by now, so there was no point of hurrying up to chase them. We took it slow as me made our way out of the Relic Castle. We ascended the massive staircase at the end of the room all the way to the very top, which was certainly a hike. There was another small hallway at the top of the stairs. It wasn't very long, and I could see the light shining at the exit. It was a relief to see it. Soon we'd be out of here.

While I walked, I wasn't really looking where I was going. My mind was occupied trying to think of other places were Juniper, Cheren and Bianca could be, and I couldn't stop thinking about what Ryoku and Christophe had said.

_Even gods can be captured._

_Leave this sinking ship while you can… for you cannot save it. _

Next thing I knew I was face down on the ground.

I sputtered dust. "Pffth. Well. That hurt," I grumbled to myself. _What the heck did I even trip on?_

"Oh my goodness!" I heard N cry.

_Ah. How nice of him, _I thought,_ heading over to help me up after I've fallen. What a gentleman._

"Touko!" N gasped, but instead of going to me, he homed in on the rock I'd tripped on and carefully picked it up. "Take a look at what you've tripped over! It's a Pokémon foss…" But his words died when he saw the look on my face; the twitching of my eyebrow. He blinked, "…I mean… are you alright?"

I brought up my hand, and N seemed to instinctively flinch, but instead of doing anything to him, I grabbed the fossil from his hands. "What's this then?" I grumbled, hauling myself up.

"It er… appears to be the fossil of an ancient Pokémon." His wariness was quickly replaced by his former exuberance.

As I looked at the fossil I could see the old bones. They were tiny, and sprawled akimbo within the rock. N pointed to these strange, flat strokes that branched off from its skeletal body, from the arms and legs. "These appear to be feathers, and its cranial dome is small and narrow; it's very raptor-like. This leads me to believe that this is the fossil of an Archen. A plume fossil…" His eyes were shining brightly as he analyzed the old bones framed within the rock. He looked just like a kid at Christmas.

"Hmm. Sounds pretty neat, I guess." I shrugged, "Might as well take it with us, I suppose."

N's eyes lit up even brighter, "Really?!"

"Yeah, Juniper might have a way to revive this Pokémon, so no harm done bringing it along," I shoved the slab of rock into my bag, patted it once the fossil was safe inside.

"Right. That is… if we can't find the professor…"

_Right…_

When we finally made our way out of the Relic Castle, we found to our despair that a sand storm had kicked up.

"Great," I sighed, bringing up my arm as a shield from the lashing wind. "We can't fly in this type of weather… what are we supposed to…?" My words suddenly died. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, that the storm was making me see things, but I noticed a figure approaching through the storm. N noticed it too and he brought up his guard, poising his arm, ready to reach for a Pokéball if the figure turned out to be unfriendly.

The person drew near, and the closer they came, I realized they were wrapped up in some sort of cloak, most likely a protection from the blustering winds. When they caught sight of us they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Touko…?!" Before I could even ask who, Bianca pulled down her hood and faced me. Her green eyes were of shock. "Is that you!?

.

_(Epilogue—Head Smasher)_

_._

Christophe finally reached the exit of the Relic Castle. He hauled himself out into the daylight and heaved a sigh. He brought up a hand and ran it through his hair in relief. _Thought I'd never get out of there. _The place was far too stuffy and cramped for his tastes. And woe, Ryoku had made the mission even longer by stopping and examining each artifact he happened to stumble upon. And deciphering every single depiction on the walls, with a bonus mini history lesson for each one.

_The ancients used this for…_

_This is the symbol of…_

_They inserted a hook up the right nostril and pulled out the brain…_

Christophe shivered. And of course, the Sage did not skimp on the details. The whole ordeal was exasperating, to say the least, and the reason why Christophe had wanted to go it alone in the first place. He knew very well the Sage's fervent love for archeology. But in retrospect, he'd be lost in there forever if the Ryoku hadn't been with him.

The king drew another sigh and scanned over the nearby desert for his ride out of here. He spotted the jeep quickly, but noticed that the grunts he'd come with were not in it. Instead they were off to the side and huddled around something. Christophe cocked an eyebrow and approached.

"What's going on here?" At the very sound of his voice, the duo of grunts started and spun around with a rushed salute. Christophe frowned, "What's behind your backs?"

"N-nothing, Sir!" One of them said.

Christophe frowned doubtfully. _Not a very good liar this one…_ "Step aside if you will," The king said, parting them with a wave of his hand. Christophe's eyes widened when he came to see a small lizard-like Pokémon huddled on the sand. One of its hands gripped a saggy, half-shedded skin that resembled a pair of pants. It used its other hand to wipe the stream of blood from its lips. It glared at the king's astonishment.

Christophe, clearly intrigued, leant down before the creature. "You are… pants-lizard?"

The Pokémon in question, the Scraggy, blinked at the king for a moment. Their eyes met. The Scraggy leant back its head and smashed his skull right into the king's face. Christophe fell back by the force of the strike and blood shot out from his nose.

His soldiers scrambled to his side, "My lord!? Are you alright!?" In anger, one of them raised his fists to the already wounded Pokémon, preparing to strike the creature for daring to wound his king.

Christophe stopped him. "My lord?"

The king shook his head, pinching his bleeding nose, "There's no need." And he then leant back down before the Scraggy and said, "I like your guts!"

The Pokémon blinked at the king's smiling face, clearly confused. This human was happy that I headbutted him in the face?

"I can tell that you're strong," Christophe held out his bloodied hand. "Would you like to join me? If you'd join me I'm sure that I could help you get stronger, and you could help me get stronger too…" he grinned, "Can you even understand what I'm saying?" _I'm not sure I'm very good at this whole 'talking to Pokémon' thing…_

The Scraggy sized up the king for a moment, looking skeptical at first. But there was something about this man that seemed enticing; the way he'd reacted after getting headbutted, the eager spark in his eyes. Who was this human exactly? Why do I feel such a strange aura from him? After pondering shortly, the lizard sealed the deal by entwining his hand with the king's.

Yes. I'd like that. I'd like to get stronger.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note<strong>:

Hello everyone. Hope you enjoyed reading. Today on "Author Notes" I have some chapter trivia to show you. Enjoy.

**T**his was a line that was cut out of the final product of this chapter.

**[**"I_ shoved the slab of rock into my bag, but I wasn't having any trouble, because my bag was one of those infinitely deep ones where you could throw in bicycles and fishing rods, and about a million Pokéballs and potions, so there was plenty of room."_**]**

But you have no idea how tempted I was to leave this in here.

And, before we go, one more point.  
>I recently got a review that asked:<br>_"On my stories, we update with a certain amount of reviews- I wonder if you update when you get enough reviews?"_  
>First of all, your kind words have touched me deeply. Secondly, I enjoy getting reviews and all that, but I don't use them as a quota that needs to be filled out before I post a new chapter. I actually have a huge backlog of chapters that I spend time editing, and whenever I feel that the chapter is as good as I can make it at the time, or after I just get sick of looking at it, I decide to post it and then get editing the next chapter. Rinse and repeat.<p>

Well, that's all, everyone. Adieu until next time!


	16. Union

Both N and I noticed it at once, so I knew it wasn't a mirage and I knew that we weren't seeing things. A person was approaching us through the sandstorm and they were getting closer and clearer with each step. But who were they? Team Plasma? But it made no sense for them to still be around here if they'd already taken the Volcarona from Relic Castle. And even if it was them… why had this person come alone? No… they were not of Team Plasma.

A plain cloak was wrapped tight around this person's body. Nowhere on it did I see any insignia or logo of Team Plasma. It protected them from head to toe against the harsh winds. They trudged over, contorted against the sandstorm, their face hidden from sight. They had not yet seen N or I.

What should I do? Attack? Defend? I didn't have time to settle upon an answer. The person had caught sight of us, and they stopped dead in their tracks.

"…Touko!?" I froze. It was a sweet voice that broke through the wind like a songbird's cry.

_It couldn't be…_

The person pulled down the hood of their cloak and let fly a head of flowing blonde hair. Her green eyes were wide, wondering, more shocked than I'd ever before seen. Her mouth agape, "Is… is that y-you… Touko!?" Bianca looked as if she was about to cry.

I wanted to cry too, but I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe, yet my heart was leaping and bounding inside of my chest. It couldn't be her… it couldn't be her… yet there she stood. My body wouldn't let me move forward to embrace her, nor would it let me fall to my knees in apology. I really couldn't do anything…

The next thing I knew her arms were around me. She didn't strangle me… she didn't hit me… she held me as tight as she possibly could… and wept out my name, "Ohh! Touko! Touko!"

I finally found the strength to move my arms, and I used it to return the hug as strongly as I could. But even if I'd regained the power to move my body, I was not strong enough to hold back my emotions. Tears fell. "I'm… s-sorry," I whimpered, burying my face into her shoulder.

She pulled me away before I had time to drench her clothing, "What are you apologizing for!?" she gasped.

"I…It's my f-fault that Team Plasma's…everything… has…!" I choked on the words and brought up my hands to catch the tears.

Bianca's expression softened, "Touko… don't say things like that! It's not your fault! It's not your fault at all!" When it looked like I was still about to bawl, Bianca continued, "That's in the past, Touko. I mean, you know, you can't just waste the rest of your life hung up on the past, thinking things like, _'if only I coulda changed that,' _or _'what if I did this differently'_." She smiled at me sweetly, "You're alive now! So you can always look to the future! As long as you learned things from your mess ups in the past, you can always change the future. Ehe, at least, I think that's how it works. Besides… Ever since that day… not once have I ever hated you, or held a grudge against you for what happened. I don't have a reason to hate or blame you, Touko. So neither should you."

I'd… never expected that. Not in a million years. I must have looked like a big idiot standing there with my jaw hanging open. But she said that she didn't hate me… and I knew that she wasn't lying. Bianca was never the type of girl to tell a lie and I could see it all in her eyes. There was no hatred there. There never had been.

I fell apart.

"Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute! Th-that wasn't supposed to make you cry!" She said worriedly, rushing to my side and holding me close, soothing me until she was sure my tears had run dry, which did take some time. "Ehe. Feel any better? Sometimes having a good cry is the best thing you need!"

I looked up at her like some lost kitten, eyes awash and red. "Biiii!" was my pathetic response.

"It's alright!" she assured me. "Cry more if you need to! Let it all out, Touko! Let it out!"

"Th-thank you," I blathered, trying to wipe the tears from my face.

She smiled sweetly again. "No problemo at all! What are friends for, right!?" Bianca suddenly stopped as if she'd just noticed something. Bianca had caught sight of N and she stared at him for quite an uncomfortably long time. "You!" she suddenly gasped, as if she just realized he'd been standing there. "You're the King of Team Plasma!"

Bianca threw aside her cloak and revealed a familiar travel bag underneath. She reached for it and I quickly picked up on what her intentions were. I caught her arm before she had a chance to pop open her bag and grab a Pokéball, "Hold on! Hold on! He's not an enemy!"

She blinked, staring at the both of us incredulously. "Huh? He's not?"

"Indeed." N said, bringing up his hands in peace, "It is a bit of a long story, but I am no longer a part of Team Plasma, and it is not in my future agenda to assist them in any way. I am not an enemy to either you or your allies."

Bianca showed a bit of an uncertain frown, but she dropped her arm, "Well… okay. If Touko believes you then I will too."

I let go of Bianca's arm with a relieved sigh, thankful to avoid confrontation for now. "But, speaking of which…" I began, "where did you come from exactly…?"

She stared at me for a moment, as if she didn't fully understand the question, and then snapped to attention. "Oh! Right! The Base! I should probably take the two of you there now, since it looks like this storm is gonna get really rough!" she brought up an arm to shield from the wind. "If you two could just follow me, please!" she made to turn in the direction she'd come, only to pivot on her heel and whip towards N in shock. "Wait a second! Which one are you!?" she pointed accusingly.

N could only blink, "Pardon?"

She trudged up to him and looked him straight in the eye, "Who was the person on the television who looked just like you and said all of those things!?" she gasped, "A brother!? A clone!?"

"Actually, I…" N looked away, "I have no idea who he really is..."

"We've met him actually. He was just inside the Relic Castle," I explained to Bianca. "He told us his name was… Christophe, wasn't it?" I glanced at N, "Does that sound familiar to you?" he shook his head, and I turned back to Bianca. "He was the one who took N's place after we escaped Team Plasma's castle."

"Oh!" Bianca leant forward in interest, "I see. That is really weird though. Why would someone want to go around looking like you? What is he trying to do as the King of Team Plasma?"

"I really… have no idea." N responded with his eyes down.

"Oh…" Bianca seemed to realize that she was treading on broken glass, and made to change the subject. "Well, we can think about that later, and better, out of this storm! You guys just stay close and I'll lead you right back to the base!"

We followed our hostess away from the Relic Castle and into the storm.

.

.

Chapter 16

**Union** (_…looking for the future_)

.

N and I followed Bianca through the desert as she led us over the dunes towards the mysterious base she had come from. Walking through a sandstorm wasn't easy by any means, and trying to traverse all those unstable hills of sand wasn't making it any easier for us. It was kind of depressing that we couldn't use Rhoden to fly there, but the winds were blowing so hard and filled with so much grainy sand that he probably wouldn't be able to keep aloft even with his stamina and power. But Bianca took it slow and steady for us, always turning back to make sure that we were still behind her, and even helping us whenever we had trouble.

"Bianca… Can I ask… are my mom and Professor Juniper at this base too?" I found it in me to ask after a while. The thought had been eating away at me for some time and I needed to get it out.

She nodded with a smile, "They sure are! That's why we better hurry!"

"Although, I'm wondering," N said, joining us at the top of the dune, "Touko and I flew around the Resort for a while, yet we didn't see any buildings apart from the Relic Castle. Where is your hideout exactly?"

"Oh!" she twirled around and kept her eyes on the horizon, "It's riiight over… there!" she declared, pointing to the mountain wall in the distance.

N and I blinked, "I don't see anything…"

She snapped her fingers and showed a thumbs up, "Exactly!" and she pranced off down the dune. N and I watched her curiously for a moment but quickly followed. I suppose we'd find out soon enough what she was talking about, and as long as it got us out of the storm then I didn't really care where we went.

But as we kept on walking I still couldn't see any building in the distance, and I was beginning to wonder if this base even existed at all. Eventually, the three of us came up to the far eastern wall that sheltered the resort. The rugged and beaten mountains of the west towered above us. Looking up at them was strangely sublime and filled me with a feeling of awe. It was as if I was standing at the foot of a god. These mountains were not only tall, but they stretched far off into the distance as well, never faltering until they reached the coast.

Bianca looked around secretively and she then crawled into one of the many crevasses that wove through the mountains. "Follow me," she whispered.

N and I did as told. We followed Bianca into a narrow passageway that was carved naturally into the rock. Although this place was bone dry… perhaps ages ago, in the time of the ancients, water used to run through here… It would certainly explain these slithering passageways; they were by no means manmade. The crook we'd entered was airtight, not even giving me room to spread my arms and pad the sand off my clothes, but it stretched up high through the mountains and teased us with the sight of the sky.

"It's just ahead," Bianca said, and walked on.

We worked our way through the passages within the mountains, and it wasn't much of an easy feat. It was suffocating. The paths swirled and wound through the rock like streams. They rose and fell, grew tall and then wide, and they kept on changing and then changing again the further we walked. This wasn't man's world, this ever changing nature. Yet I felt like we were welcome here. We inched through crooks, crouched down to crawl through tunnels, helped each other over boulders blocking our way and leapt across echoing drops. It wasn't a very long trek, but it was one of obstacles. But it eventually came to an end when we found ourselves at a small space area at the end of one of the paths.

The area we'd entered seemed to be roughly the size of a front lawn, but it gave me enough room to stretch out my arms and legs which had been cramping against the rocks. Bianca came to a stop in front of a large rock wall that stretched well into the sky; in fact it looked like it was part of the mountain wall itself. Could this be where…?

She walked up to the wall and began running her hands along the surface, padding it down in search of something. N and I could only watch.

"Umm… where was it again?" She was mumbling to herself, "…do I even have the right door? Ah! Here it is!" She located a small stone on the surface and popped it open to reveal some sort of keypad, at least that's what it looked like over her shoulder. I couldn't see what code she inputted, but after a bleep of approval, a section of rock, roughly the size of a garage door, rumbled open.

Bianca turned to us with a smile, "We're home!" She hiked the strap of her bag onto her shoulder and shuffled into the unlit depths of the cave. N and I followed her with slight hesitance and prepared for whatever was waiting for us inside.

A long string of overhead lights flickered on once we'd set foot inside the opening, as if they'd been expecting us. I was a bit stunned for a moment to see we'd entered a spacious hallway that continued on as far as I could see. I took a few clanging steps into the hallway, only to realize that it was metal paved.

"Oh!? Whoa?! It's made of metal?" I looked around in surprise at the wide hall. It was just a guess, but it looked even big enough to accommodate trucks and the like.

"Yep!" Bianca said with a grin, "We thought it'd be a good idea to support the walls with steel so they wouldn't come crumbling down or caving in and stuff!" She put her finger to her chin in thought, "Oh, but not all the halls in here are like that!"

"It's pretty amazing that you were able to craft hallways of this size and length within the mountain," N observed with interest, "that couldn't have been an easy feat, even with Pokémon…"

Bianca held her sweet grin, "Well, we do have the Miner King with us after all!"

My brow furrowed at the mention of that title. There was something familiar about it, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"So…" Bianca said, looking up to the ceiling in thought, "I guess I should take you guys to the break room, because that's probably where everyone is right now…yeah… probably…" she pondered in silence for a few more moments before coming back to reality. Momentary zone-outs were not an uncommon occurrence with her. "Okay! Follow me!" she spun around and shuffled quickly down the hallway.

"Whoa!" I gasped, sprinting after her, "Slow down, Bianca!"

"Slow down!? I was just going to tell you two to speed up! Come on! Andale!" Bianca shouted back.

The hallway continued for a little while, and remained mostly the same throughout. The only thing that really defined where we were, were a few labeled junctions which we passed by. But the labels didn't mean much to me, and Bianca didn't stop to explain, so we just followed our hostess until the end of the hallway came in sight.

I thought I'd been ready for the moment, but the second I saw that we were at the end of the path my heart shot right to my throat. This was it. It was time to meet everyone again after all of this time. My friends, my family, professor Juniper and whatever gym leaders were with her. The nervousness was gutting.

How did they feel about all of this… about me…? What would I feel if I were in their shoes? If Bianca or Cheren had been the one who had lost instead, and I had been the one experiencing the world as it changed… would I hold on to the hatred? Bianca hadn't… but she was never that kind of person. And even if there wasn't hatred… could people really let go of all of the sadness and regret as well?

_Even if you messed up the past… there's always the future to look forward to! _

Bianca was right… right more than words could ever say. I was scared, yeah. Scared out of my wits, and I couldn't stop shaking… but I wouldn't run away… I wouldn't turn my back like I had for all of those years inside of that tower. I would… face the future.

We stepped into a large and windowless room. There looked to be a few tables and chairs about, and a few people around those, but I didn't have time to get a good enough look because some furry creature came flying at me! I wasn't quick enough to block it, or protect myself and it threw itself right onto my face!

I started, about to panic and try throw it off but it gave a familiar squeak, and I stopped.

"Inefmmle?" I muffled. The Minccino on my face squeaked and wagged its bushy tail in joy.

"My god… Touko… sweetheart, is that you!?" I heard an all too familiar voice gasp. I pried the Minncino off my face only to see my mother rush over and throw her arms around me. I was stricken with shock when I felt her touch, but it didn't last as long as it had with Bianca. My mother's skin, her smell, her warmth, everything about her instantly calmed me. She felt so familiar… so warm… I returned her hug as strongly as I could, and Pineapple, her Minccino, ran circles around our shoulders.

"My goodness. Sweetheart… where have you been all this time?" I heard her muffle as she stroked my head soothingly, attempting to quell my tears.

"Mo… Mo…" I found myself unable to speak. Even if I could I wouldn't have known what to say. All I could do was hold on tighter… it would have to be enough.

"Is that Touko!?" I peeked over my mother's shoulder to see Professor Juniper walking over.

I pulled out of my mother's embrace, suddenly flustered, "Oh… p-professor… I… I-I mean… I…"

Juniper put a firm hand on my shoulder, cutting off what was about to become lengthy and clumsy explanation, "You don't need to say anything." And she smiled, "It's just good to see you're still alive, Touko."

I felt a sudden calm come over me. I don't know if it was the professor's words, or if it was because my mother was so close to me, but all the nervousness and agitation was driven from my heart. I felt… so soothed.

"You there!" A gruff voice spat, ripping me from the calm. I turned to see the Gym leader of Driftveil City, Clay, stomp forward. The old miner was a lot like I'd remembered him, gruff and no nonsense, that was clear enough on his face, even if it were a little wrinkled now and his hair had slightly grayed. He was dressed in his old cowboy fatigues, topped with an old western hat, jewel encrusted, and spurs on his boots. Clay pointed an accusing finger at N, who had remained patiently by the doorway. "Yer the king of Team Plasma, ain't che? Whatn' tarnation 're you doin' here?"

"Hold on!" I spoke quickly, trying to avoid argument for the second time that day. How many more times was I gonna have to explain that N was on our side!?

Before I could dish out an explanation, N silenced me with a quick wave of his hand. He stared down the Miner King with eerie composure and said, "I am no longer the king of Team Plasma." Clay watched intently as N spoke, looking for any signs of deception or lies, "and I do not agree with any of the laws or ideals that they have placed upon this world. I've seen it all firsthand… after a time of ignorance, and now there is no stronger desire I have then to help all of you free both people and Pokémon from Team Plasma's grip." N closed his eyes and took a breath, "Your skepticism is justified, and after all I've done… I wouldn't be surprised if you loathed me, or harbored contempt. But I want to…" He opened his eyes and looked directly at the Miner King, "I want to help you all no matter what."

There was silence for a time as everyone in the room watched the former king, but N's expression would not falter under their unanimous gaze. I was surprised by what he'd said, and I imagined that his resolve had become much stronger after seeing Christophe face to face.

Clay blew out a sigh and rested his hands on his hips, "I see. Welp. I can't say I trust ya one hundred percent…" He cracked a small smile, "But it's mighty clear ye got yerself some pure intent there. Your eyes are a burnin' son, so I don't think yer lyin'. I can tell that kinda thing with people." Clay narrowed his eyes and pointed an accusing finger, "But if I catch ye up to anythin' I swear I'll grab yeh by the short 'n curlies and hang ya myself!"

N's paled, "…You'll…_what?"_

"You deaf, boy!?" Clay hollered.

"Now, now, please calm down everyone!" Juniper said, clapping her hands to get our attention. "How about we all sit down and catch up." She flashed me a wide grin, "I'm sure the both of you have stories to tell."

"Oh!" My mother gasped. "How about I go and make us some tea and snacks?" She turned to me with a broad smile, "The both of you a probably famished after the trip!"

"M…Moooommm~!" I mewled, teary eyed. It was the only way I could display by gratitude for her.

"Now, now, darling," my mom said, patting my shoulder.

"Here she goes again," Bianca sighed as I tried to stop my tears.

"You need food now!" my mother basically commanded. Well, a good meal was basically my mother's solution to everything. That and violence. "To the kitchen, Pineapple!" and there was no stopping her after that. With a squeak of agreement from her Minccino, they rushed out of the room to where I guess the kitchen was supposed to be.

Juniper, Bianca, N and I, and even Clay, settled ourselves around the circular wooden table that squat in the center of the room.

"Don't mind the mess," Juniper said, sweeping a plethora of heavily worded papers to one side of the table. "Have a seat anywhere, put your feet up. Is there anything that I could get the both of you?" But N and I told the professor that we were fine.

My mother returned a moment later with a strong smelling tea and a small bowl of buns. "Enjoy!" She rang, and Pineapple echoed with a pleased chirp.

I sank down into the worn navy armchair I'd picked. Pleasantries aside, I decided to get right to the point, "I'm wondering," I began, "who else is here besides you guys? I mean, are there any other Gym leaders here?"

"Well, hehe, kind of hate to admit it… but we're a little understaffed here," Juniper said, smiling weakly. "But! What we lack in numbers we make up for in skill! Let me stress that much! Besides Bianca and Clay, we also have Elesa, Burgh and a few other veteran trainers gathered here."

"What has happened to the rest of the Gym Leaders?" N inquired, taking a small sip of his tea.

"We aren't sure," Bianca said, fiddling subtly with her fingers.

"Either missing or captured we can guess," Juniper finished with a sigh, "and before you ask, the same can be applied to Alder and the Elite Four as well. We haven't heard word from them since the Dream Factories were set up, you see."

"And if they were already captured… Team Plasma probably wouldn't broadcast anything about it," Bianca said, glancing at Juniper for conformation. "You know. They'd keep it all quiet and everything!"

"Yup. They'd keep it under wraps alright," the professor said, taking a large gulp of her tea.

"What about… Cheren?" I could help but notice that he hadn't been mentioned in their ranks. The moment I spoke his name the atmosphere immediately shifted, and Juniper and Bianca shared a look. "Oh no. What's he done now?"

"He's… uhh," Bianca frowned, fidgeting more anxiously.

"Cheren is not a part of our group at this current time. He has decided to take matters into his own hands and work all by himself," Juniper filled in, sounding faintly bitter about the whole thing.

"He's going it alone? Buy why?" I asked, leaning in.

The professor huffed, "You'd have to ask him yourself. Last we saw of him he said he didn't want anything to do with us, and he's dropped off the map ever since. Even now we're not too sure where he's gone off too, but I'm pretty sure that he's still in this region fighting against Team Plasma in his own ways," she took a sip, "though we've heard he's been operating around Driftveil City as of late, but those are just rumors." The professor frowned slightly, fiddling with a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Darn rascal better not soil the reputation of my town," Clay grumbled from my right as he gnawed grumpily on a bun.

"I… see…" I said, looking down at my feet.

"You claim you're a resistance, but I wonder… what steps are you taking to combat against Team Plasma's power?" N spoke up. "They will not be an easy force to beat, especially with the influence of the Dream Factories. Your group is villainized in the eyes of this nation. How will you get the masses to sympathize with your cause?" I nearly flinched about how direct he was being. Good questions sure, I wasn't sure that now was really the time.

Juniper crossed her arms over her chest and leant back to collect what he'd just said. "Good questions. All of us realize that changing things back to the way they were won't be easy. If anything, it will be a gradual process, like draining out an infection or slowly mending up a wound. I've got a philosophy that if something's worth doing then it's worth doing right, and you can't do something perfectly if you just rush through it, right? Team Plasma have branded their presence not only into the nation, but into the hearts and minds of the people as well. I'm sure you've seen that all first hand. So you said you're wondering, how can we change this, how can we get things back to the way they're supposed to be?" Juniper paused to take a bite of a bun.  
>"Little bits is the answer. If you take away small chunks from the whole, by disrupting their shipments, listening in on their conversations, or spreading dissent about the system, then the whole operation will eventually fall. We're just trying to pull out the pillars that keep them loft. It won't be easy, but I've always liked a good challenge! My dad would say the same thing!"<p>

"I see." N took another sip of his tea, "Your approach seems reasonable. I agree that removing their presence cannot be done with haste. Even when we took down the Dream Factory in Striaton City, nearly two thirds of the town's population left. The change appeared to be… too much for them."

"Ah. I heard about that one. Stellar job, kids. I was blown away when I'd heard that you'd taken out one of those Factories! We could never dream of taking those places head on, no pun intended I assure you!" Juniper went right to the edge of her seat in interest.

"How did you do it!?" Bianca gawped, echoing the professor's actions, "The security around those buildings is legendary!"

I suppressed a frown. Did they not know that Fennel had worked for Team Plasma in those factories? "We had… help from someone on the inside," I said with a faint smile.

They blinked, slightly stunned by lack of elaboration. "Oh."

"It sounds like a tough job," my mother said, scratching Pineapple on his belly; he melted at her touch. She raised her fist in determination, tearing up in joy, "but of course my daughter would be the ones to put those chumps in their place!"

I rolled my eyes, reaching for a golden-brown croissant I had seen resting at the bottom of the bowl, looked like the only one. I needed to have it. "Yeah. Sure mom."

My mother frowned, "I was expecting a bit more of a… triumphant response!" and she flashed me a grin but I could only stare at her while chewing.

"U-umm." Bianca spoke up, "Touko?"

I turned to my friend in question; something about her voice grabbed my attention.

She fiddled with her fingers, keeping her eyes downcast. "I was wondering if we could… if we could have a… Pokémon battle." She finished with composure, drawing a Pokéball out of her bag.

"A battle so soon?" professor Juniper gasped, "but Bianca, they've just stepped through the door."

"Alright." I agreed, causing all eyes to magnetize on me. I grinned, keeping my gaze locked on my old friend, "It's been a long time since we had a good battle, eh?" The excitement was heard clearly in my voice.

"You too, Touko?" Juniper sighed, shaking her head at my eagerness. "Our meal hasn't even got a chance to settle…"

"Might as well let them do it," my mom said with a hidden and prideful grin, "kids'll be kids."

"Mind if I ref?" I cocked my eyebrow at the sound of a new voice, and turned to find Elesa standing in a doorway.

"Oh, Elesa!" Juniper spun around on the couch, peeking over the back cushion, "Burgh isn't with you?"

She sighed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, "He's still cooped up in his room, as usual." She turned her gaze to us, watching from under her cropped bangs, "If the two of you are going to battle, I'll act as the referee." Even in times like these Elesa was expertly dressed. Her blond hair was short and cropped over her eyes, yet had jaggedly shaped strands falling from either side of her ear; they almost looked like jolts of electricity. She wore a light blue sweater that held tight to her figure and a pair of black leggings; it looked comfortable and practical.

"Sounds good!" I said, throwing the rest of the croissant in my mouth and launching to my feet. "But… where are we gonna battle?"

"We have a sparring area set up for the purpose of training," Juniper said, getting to her feet, "follow me and I'll take you there."

We got up and followed Juniper's lead, and to my surprise, even N and Clay were tagging along. I was eager to see how much stronger Bianca had grown after all the time we'd spent apart, but she was probably thinking the same about me. Luckily, the walk there was short which kept my impatience at bay. We entered a large Pokémon arena carved right out of the rock of the mountain, completely submerged underground only lit by lanterns pegged into the rocky walls, since this room, unlike the others we'd seen, wasn't lined with metal.

Bianca and I didn't waste any time, she went to one side of the arena while I went to the other. Juniper, N, my mother, Pineapple and Clay took a seat on the bleachers set at one end of the room. Elesa held her position as ref and stayed standing at the border of the battlefield.

"How does three-on-three sound to you?" Bianca called over.

"Fine by me! No items!"

"Do you want to sub out?"

I paused for a moment, thinking it over shortly before I agreed. It would be beneficial to be able to switch out at my leisure, especially if we weren't using items. "Yeah!"

"Then it is a three-on-three match!" Elesa declared. "Touko versus Bianca. Whichever side knocks out the other trainer's Pokémon wins! No items. Substitutions available!" Her eyes flicked to the both of us, "Ready…" Bianca and I reached for our Pokémon, "Begin!"

"Go! Musharna!" Bianca released the dreamer, and I wasn't surprised to see it. Bianca would usually lead with this Pokémon, and I was prepared for that.

"Come one out, Luca!" My Bisharp landed gracefully onto the cool earth, slashing his blade-like arm in the air, a familiar gesture which beckoned the fight. Bianca's eyes widened at the sight of my Pokémon, and it wasn't simply because of his typing. She was shocked because of how smashed and broken Luca had become. He looked a mockery of his former self, but he stood proud and powerful as ever.

Bianca composed herself and seemed to be thinking of a game plan, "Use Yawn, Munnie!"

Bianca's Pokémon took in a drowsy gasp and blew a faint mist towards my Pokémon. Luca took it because he knew it was unavoidable, and involuntarily breathed in the mist. His eyes began to flutter and droop. I had to take that Musharna out before Luca dozed off.

"Use X-Scissor, Luca!" My Bisharp's eyes flashed open. He poised his sharpened forearms and rushed at our opponent.

"Dodge it, Munnie!" Whether it was just luck, or her Pokémon was faster than I'd first thought, Bianca's Musharna just managed to avoid a fatal blow. X-Scissor hit but the strike was too shallow. I cursed internally. I should have used Night Slash; that would have ended it for sure. I paid a price for holding back. It was at that time that Luca's head dropped, his eyes shut and he fell asleep. He remained standing, hunching only slightly: motionless like a statue.

I bit my lip. I had no idea how long Luca was going to stay asleep for, but it wasn't all bad. Musharna is a Psychic type Pokémon, most of its moves would prove to be ineffective against Luca's Dark typing. I'd just have to wait it out until my knight roused.

"Use Nightmare, Munnie!" The Musharna's eyes flashed open, burning red orbs locked onto my immobile Pokémon as an eerie mist drifted down from the hole on its snout. The mist enveloped my Pokémon, wreathing around him and entering the orifices of his body as he slept.

I clenched my fists, watching as the Nightmare began to take effect. Luca's body began to twitch and jerk in his slumber. "Luca! You have to get up!"

Somehow, my voice broke through Luca's torpor and he awakened. His eyes fluttered open and he rose to his feet, hissing dangerously.

Bianca gasped in shock, "Oh no!"

I grinned in relief, "Finish this with Night Slash, Luca!" I wasn't playing around any longer. I responded to Bianca's spirit and gave this battle my all. My drive reflected into my Pokémon as well. Luca extended the blades on his arms, and they gleamed a midnight blue. He shot at the Musharna and tore it into submission. Bianca's Pokémon was cut out of the air and landed onto the ground: motionless.

She gasped, "Munnie…!" then composed herself quickly, returning her fainted Musharna. "Good move, but let's see if you can handle this! Go! Mienshao!"

My heart sank as she released her next Pokémon; a weasel-esque Pokémon; a deadly fighting type. This wasn't good, and I didn't plan to have Luca stick around. I knew he wouldn't last long against that thing. I was glad I was able to sub out.

"Luca," I brought up his capsule, "come on back." But my Bisharp jumped out of the way of the returning mechanism and stunned me by racing at our enemy. "Luca!? What are you doing!? I said return!" I tried to recall him a second time, but he hit the beam away with his arm, spun on his heel and blocked an attack from Bianca's Pokémon. His armor chipped.

"Use Drain Punch, Mieny!"

I bit my lip, unsure of whether I should try to get my Pokémon to obey yet again, or comply with him and let him fight this battle out; he seemed hell bent on doing the latter for some reason. _Gah! But why!? _

Luca wasn't willing to wait for my orders. He managed to wean passed the Mienshao's attack, and tried to land a Slash as it came in close, but Bianca's Pokémon was fast and Luca's attack was blocked. But even if Slash had hit, it wouldn't have done substantial damage.

"Luca! Why won't you listen to me!? Return!" But his disobeyance continued. What the hell was going on? Why wasn't Luca listening to me, and what bloody reason did he have for wanting to fight so much!? It wasn't the Mienshao, because I hadn't fought against Bianca's Mienshao before, and I couldn't remember Luca holding any grudges against Bianca or any of her team…

"Touko!" N suddenly shouted, rising from the bleachers and nearly scaring me out of my skin by the volume of his voice. "It's the guilt!" He told me, grasping his chest. I blinked at him in shock. _Guilt… _"Luca is saying that he wants to keep fighting because he feels guilty for having lost to Ghetsis so easily, for having to put you and his friends through that kind of anguish!" N belted out his words as if Luca's pain was his own. I looked on to where Luca was fighting desperately against Bianca's Mienshao. "He doesn't want that to happen to you or your Pokémon ever again, and he'll put his life on the line to make sure that history doesn't repeat itself!" N finished translating Luca's thoughts there.

_I see… So that's it…_

I took in a deep breath, and sighed. "Bianca." I called over to her side, looking directly into her eyes. "I'm going to do something a bit shocking… but I don't want you to stop attacking even for a second. Okay?"

She nodded, resolute. "Got it. Mienshao, use Force Palm!"

Luca, already at the peak of exhaustion, tried to force his crumbling body to move but his muscles would not comply. He knew the attack was coming, so he flinched, bracing himself for the strike. But that attack never came because it hit me instead.

Every person in the room took in a shocked breath but it sounded miles away to me. The force of the attack rocked through every bone and muscle in my body, vibrating right down to my core. It was much harder than I'd thought it'd be. I coughed up a bit of blood as my Bisharp watched me in shocked silence.

"Luca." I choked out, "Would it make you feel better if I got torn up too?" Bianca's Mienshao withdrew its fist, jumped back in surprise and joined the onlooker's shock "Because every wound you have on your body is carved on the inside of me!" I shouted as I stared Luca right in the eye. "It's on Hyle, it's on Terra! On all of us! You're not… you're not…" I sputtered the blood which had gathered in my mouth, making my voice coarse, "You're not the only one who's suffered because of wh-what Team Plasma has done. And that's why… that's why we have to stick together! We'll never be able to stop them… and we'll never be able to get things back to the way they used to be unless we stick together!"

My Bisharp looked shocked to the core by my words, but even that seems like an understatement.

"Mie… Mienshao! Use Drain Punch!" I smirked, feeling happy that Bianca had listened to me, though I could tell by her voice that she was just as shocked as everyone else.

"You got that, Luca? You can't… c-carry the world on your own…" I said, because time was short. "So let's carry it together."

The shock in my Pokémon's eyes was replaced by burning determination and he jumped to his feet. "Use Aerial Ace!" I shouted as Luca rushed by, speeding to our opponent. Both Pokémon shot at each other and their attacks connected. The Mienshao's fist had driven deep into Luca's abdomen, knocking him out, but it wasn't in vein. Our last attack had struck Bianca's Mienshao, producing a large gash on its flank. Luca, content with his work, accepted his defeat and crumpled to the ground.

I drew a trembling sigh; the force of Mienshao's attack still tingled through my body. I returned Luca to his Pokéball. _You did a good job._

"T-Touko, are you alright!?" Bianca asked worriedly from her side of the arena.

"Yeah!" I said, stumbling back over to my side of the arena, waving an OK as I went.

"That's nonsense!" I heard Juniper bleat. "Call the match off! You're bleeding like crazy!"

"No. Only out of my mouth." I said, wiping the stream from my lips, but it kept trickling out anyway.

"This is nothing to joke about!" Juniper shouted, slightly agitated by my obstinance. "You could…!"

"That doesn't matter!" I shouted. I turned to face the battle again. "I'm fine. I want to… I want to finish this!" The only one who didn't seem unconvinced or worried by what I'd said was N. He stared me down analytically, curious for my reasoning or impressed by my drive? I didn't know. I didn't care at the time. I just wanted to see this battle through to the end.

"Well…" Bianca said uncertainly. "If you're sure…"

"Definitely! Come at me! Hyle! Let's go!"

My Emboar snarled as the Mienshao covered its mouth teasingly with its fur-lined arm. "Another fighting type?" Bianca questioned. "You won't take us out like that!"

She was right. Fighting moves weren't effective against fighting types, but at least they weren't ineffective.

"Use Acrobatics, Mienshao!" Her Pokémon leapt into the air with grace and propelled itself forward. I cursed internally. Just my luck that thing could learn flying moves.

"B-block it Hyle!" I spat.

Hyle contorted, brought up his burly forearms and took the attack head on. The Mienshao leapt at Hyle with frightening speed and tackled right into his defense. My Emboar was pushed backwards, but remained standing as the Mienshao sprang back, keeping a safe distance. Hyle withdrew a moment later and shook out his arms.

"Use it again, Mieny!" Her Pokémon obeyed, dashing forward for a second time. Hyle brought up his arms on impulse, trying to block the shot, but the Mienshao redirected its course and took a hit on Hyle's side where he was unguarded.

I grit my teeth. She was trying to wear us down. If I didn't take care of that Mienshao then it could spell the end for us. I blinked, struggling to keep my eyes open. Something felt wrong. My body was beginning to tremble, and I thought it was just an aftershock from the Force Palm, but it wasn't going away… it was getting worse. And in addition to that, I was just finding it hard to stand up straight.

"Hyle_… use…" _I had to stop; my throat felt dry and swollen. _What the hell is going on!? _The Mienshao hadn't struck me that hard had it? Or more importantly, what had it struck? Its attack had connected with my upper back, around my right shoulder blade. Nothing felt broken, but maybe the attack hit something on the inside. But it didn't matter. I couldn't stop this battle. Not now. Not yet.

"Use Bounce, Mienshao!" Her Pokémon sprung into the air with lightning speed and force. It hovered for a split second, just enough time for me to tell Hyle to get out of the way.

The Mienshao shot down and missed Hyle by a hair, leaving a steaming crater in its wake. It hopped back again and prepared for the next strike. This was not good. Hyle would be a goner if he was hit by that attack.

"Use Bounce one more time!"

A sudden thought occurred to me, "Hyle! Use Smack Down! Hit it out of the air!" I hunched over and began to cough, forcing those words from my throat had been horribly painful, but Hyle heard me.

My Emboar stomped down hard on the ground, breaking off a soccer-ball sized fragment of stone. The Mienshao, seeing Hyle's actions, shot down in haste, hoping to strike before it was hit instead. Hyle picked up the rock and tossed it right at the Mienshao, knocking it off course and sending it plowing into the ground.

"Mieny! Oh no!"

"Use…!" I choked on my words, hacking up blood, "Take… do…wn…" Hopefully, this would finish it.

Hyle flung himself at the incapacitated Mienshao, knocking it into unconsciousness before it could get up again. I sighed in relief. Two down, one to go.

Bianca frowned, sealing up her defeated Pokémon, bidding it a job well done. "Serperior! It's your turn!" I'd been waiting for this Pokémon, Bianca's starter. Her grass serpent towered above Hyle and I, looking down on us with condescension, like a lord regarding unworthy peons. Even though I had type advantage on my side, Serperior was gonna be a toughie, especially with Hyle as he was. The attacks from her Mienshao had worn him out, and Hyle was running on fumes.

My Pokémon and I braced ourselves for whatever came next.

"Use Coil, Serperior!" The green snake wreathed itself, closing its eyes in concentration as its attack, defense and accuracy rose.

This wasn't good. "Hy…" I doubled over, trying to keep on my feet as a few sickening coughs rocked my body.

"Touko?! Are you okay!?" I looked up to try and spot Bianca from across the field, but my vision was blurry, distorted, like viewing the world through a malfunctioning TV set. It dawned on me then.

"_Are you sure you're ready to head out? I'm not even sure if we've gotten all the Dream Mist flushed out of you yet…_" Professor Fennel's warning echoed back to me, and I realized what was going on. It was all that blasted Dream Smoke I'd breathed in during my fight with Reginald! But I didn't understand. I felt fine when I left Striaton City, and I felt completely okay in the Resort and Relic Castle. I'd been fine up until now, so why!?

"Touko!?" Bianca questioned again when she hadn't heard a response.

"Yea…" I hacked. "Yeah. I-I'll be… fine!" I hunched, only able to remain standing by leaning on my knees. "Take it down, Hyle! Flame… Charge!"

Hyle began to stomp on the ground, one foot after the other, revving up a blistering inferno which quickly erupted from his body. Once the flame built to its peak, Hyle roared forward, straight towards the Serperior which simply watched his approach calmly. I didn't get it. Why wasn't Bianca attacking or telling her Pokémon to dodge.

I realized it too late.

"Dragon Tail!" Her Serperior spun around with lightning speed, lashing its tail out like a whip, striking Hyle with pulverizing force, sending him flying back into the wall behind me. I flinched as my Pokémon collided with the heavy rock, bringing up my arms to shield from the dust. Once the smoke and debris had settled down, I looked over to see Hyle had been knocked unconscious. I cringed, brought up a shaking hand and returned my Pokémon back to his ball.

I turned back to our adversaries, chewing on my lip anxiously. Bianca had gotten a lot tougher in the time I'd been away. Even without all this Dream Smoke interference and pain, she still would have been a toughie. She'd improved a lot.

I thought about stopping the battle. Juniper was right; my body wasn't doing so good, and if the Dream Mist was coming back I knew I had to call things off before they escalated. I was terrified of the thought of entering that horrible illusion world again… everything from that time felt so real and intense, I wanted to avoid entering it again… but. Even though the Dream Smoke was back, mussing up my vision and senses, it wasn't nearly as bad as before. My vision was dimming, blurring, sounds came in muffled, but there were no illusions or horrors… yet. We only had one more round to go. We could still do this. I was going to see this through till the end.

I smiled, bringing out my last Pokémon, "Here we go, Ophelia. It's up to you."

My Lilligant was released before me, staring humbly at the heavy gaze of Bianca's serpent, unfaltering.

"Use Coil again, Serpy!" The snake coiled its body up again, echoing its previous movements and giving its stats another boost.

"Use Sleep Powder on that thing, Ophelia!" My Lilligant didn't know many moves that were effective against Grass types like Serperior, so I'd just have to incapacitate it for a while until I could think up a strategy. The Dream Smoke was still present; it hadn't gone away. But I found that if I really focused on what I was doing, paid attention to the battle at hand, its affects didn't seem as prevalent. Its effects were nowhere near the level they were when I'd fought Reginald. I was even able to speak now without choking on my own blood and spit, since the flow had so graciously stopped. I could definitely finish this match without passing out!

Ophelia spread out the leaves on her body and released a light blue mist into the air.

"Dodge it, Serpy!" With the use of its large, whip-like tail, Bianca's Pokémon managed to blow Ophelia's attack away. "Now get in there and use Dragon Tail!"

I choked on a gasp as her Pokémon slithered up to Ophelia in the blink of an eye and knocked her aside with a mighty rush of its tail. It sent her flying across the arena, but after a few rolls she managed to steady her footing.

"O…phelia! Teeter…!" But my words were drowned out by Bianca's next attack.

"Finish it up with Slam!" Ophelia, still disgruntled by that last attack, was knocked down by a powerful tail slam, and she didn't get up again.

I stared at Ophelia's unmoving body for a few stunned moments before Elesa's words snapped me out of my daze. "Lilligant is no longer able to battle! Bianca and Serperior are the winners!"

"Good job, Serpy!" I heard Bianca cry, racing over to her Pokémon and throwing her arms around its broad body. "We did it! We did it! I knew we could do it!"

I smiled at the joy Bianca and her Pokémon shared, weakly returning Ophelia to her Pokéball. Bianca being so happy was a nice thing to see before I fell back and passed out.

"_Touko_!?" Was it N that I heard calling my name? Ah, surely there were other voices in the mix too, but his seemed the loudest. Was it his arms that I felt taking hold of me and trying to rouse me? I'm not too sure about that. I couldn't stay conscious long enough to find out.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

The steady sound of a beeping in sync with my pulse was what greeted me when I awoke. I knew what that meant. Hospital. But how did I get here again? My brow furrowed in both thought and confusion, also with slight irritation because I couldn't seem to open my eyes.

Oh. That's right. I'd just had a battle with Reginald in the center of the Dream Factory. Wait… no… that wasn't it.

I groaned involuntarily as my heavy eyelids slowly spread apart.

"Oh. It looks like she's waking up." Was that N's voice I heard? Ah, it would be nice to see him at my bedside with one of his cheery old smiles.

When I got my eyes open, and my vision finally adjusted, I ended up face to face with the bushy mug of a Minccino. I jolted in surprise, yet all Pineapple did was lean closer into my face. I sunk back, and he leant further in, humming curiously. This only stopped when I was two thirds eaten by the pillow and our noses finally touched. Pineapple squeaked happily and started to wag his tail in joy, like this was some sort of game to him.

"Pineapple," I grumbled, "mind giving me some room to breathe here?"

Someone took the Minccino off of my chest, and once it had been removed N leant over me. "Touko? Are you awake?"

"Merblmm," I grumbled back, bringing up my hands to rub my sore eyes.

"That's good to hear," N said with a smile, though I don't think he understood what I just said, because I didn't even know what I just said! "How are you feeling? Does your body hurt at all?"

I stopped. "Hey…" I said, looking down at myself in slight surprise, wriggling up into a sitting position. "Now that you mention it… I feel pretty okay…"

N smiled softly, holding Pineapple in his arms, "I thought so. I had Marie heal you so all the major damage should be gone, though I advise you take it easy for a little bit…"

"Yeahn…" I said, staring down at my bed sheets groggily before taking a wide glance around the medical room I was in. The room was cramped, and I figured it was a patient's room since my bed was the only one. Besides that, there was a desk and a few chairs, a shelf of books and not much else. I sighed, sinking back into the bed sheets. "I was fighting Bianca… and I lost huh?"

"That's right." N said keeping his eyes on Pineapple as he scratched him behind the ears.

My lip began to tremble and I bit down on it in order to get it to stop, but I couldn't suppress a soft whimpering brought on by my tears, and though it was silent N heard it anyway.

"Touko? What's the matter?"

"I am…" I brought my knees up to my forehead and contorted myself, "…what if I can't… what if I can't… do it…?!"

"Do what?"

"Beat Ghetsis…!" I looked up at N with puffy red eyes, "because sometime in the future… I know… I know I'm going to have to fight him… and what if I… what if I lose to him again!?" I placed hands upon my throbbing head, which was made even more painful by my tears. "What's the point of looking to the future if it means that I'm going to have to fight… _him_ again!? And if I lose again… it will be… it will…"

"That isn't going to happen, Touko…"

I nearly burst out laughing. Oh how carefree he sounded. I couldn't even look at him, "So, what? You can see the future now?"

He put a firm hand on my shoulder and I immediately found his eyes. He looked at me in faint pity, "Don't. Please don't rip yourself apart like this… not again." I found I couldn't speak, and he continued, "Don't crush yourself under all the self doubt and self hatred. We've both been there before… in that place… I don't want you to fall down there again. If you keep tumbling down there… you may not be able to climb back out… even my voice may not be able to reach you anymore."

I found I couldn't speak. Why was he bringing that back up again? I knew why… but that place… I didn't want to even think of it again.

N looked into my eyes again, but pity was replaced with passion. "Touko. If all you focus upon is the negative then nothing but the negative will happen, and it will keep repeating. But I know you… you're strong. If you're fighting for something you believe in, and if you have your friends and your Pokémon standing beside you, holding up the burden with you… then there's no way that you can lose… Touko." N smiled, while I could only stare dumbfounded at him. "I can… help you as well. Because… that is… what… friends do…" he smiled at me sweetly. "Okay?"

I had to hug him. I had to hug the sweet hell out of him. My heart… couldn't take another smile like that. "C'mere you… idiot!"

N stiffened at my touch and didn't respond at first, because I'm sure suddenly invading his personal space like that would leave him stunned, but he returned the hug a few moments later. And Pineapple seemed rather eager to have a part in it as well.

"Are you feeling better then?" he asked after a moment, and I released him from my grasp.

"Yeah. Thanks for that," I said, wiping the stray tears from my eyes. "You're right. Really. I'm… sorry I'm such an idiot."

N settled back into his chair, still in the process of ridding the blush from his face. "I don't mind." I… was going to let that one slide. "As long as you are feeling better. And… Touko? I believe that I've witnessed something extraordinary today."

"Which would be what exactly?" I questioned.

"It was you."

I turned to him, "…What?"

"The way you and Bianca battled… the way that you took the attack for Luca… and the things that you said to him. He understood you. I understood as well, even if it was reckless, there proved to be a method to your madness."

"I'm relatively sane," I assured him.

N looked down at his lap to where he gently massaged Pineapple's head. He was at the mercy of that Minccino. "It was really amazing seeing you and Bianca battle today. Your Pokémon… really looked like they were having a lot of fun. It was if you could understand what they were saying… even without hearing their words." He turned his wide eyes to me and began to speak more quickly, "I know you synchronize with your Pokémon using your heart, and Miss Bianca was doing it too." He leant in closer, "How many other trainers do that? All of them?"

"Back up, buddy!" I said, trying to push his face away, but I didn't get too far when the door suddenly opened. Bianca strolled in.

"Are you up, Touko? I heard your voice coming from here so…" Her words dropped when she saw the position N and I were in. I still hadn't been able to push his face away yet, and he was leaning in rather close, a little too close into me, especially for one who didn't know what was going on. Bianca's cheeks coloured and she turned her back in embarrassment, "Oops! I'm s-sorry. Did I… come at a bad time?"

N glanced at Bianca in confusion, like he was oblivious to the cause of her embarrassment.

"No. It's fine," I said, pushing N away lightly, trying to rid the colour from my cheeks. "Is that… food you have there?" My interest was piqued.

"Oh. Yes!" She came over and set the tray on the table by my bedside.

"There is a question I wish to ask you." N said, staring Bianca with that predatory look he'd usually wear when seeking answers.

The look caught her off guard a bit. "U-umm. Yes?"

He tilted his head slightly, curiously. "How is it you battle with your Pokémon? In which ways do you communicate?"

Bianca blinked at him like he'd dropped the mother of all questions on her. "Umm. I… never really thought of that before…" she put her finger to her lips. "I think I know what I should tell them to do by the way their personalities are! Mieny is really hasty so I let her attack more often! Munnie is bit calmer, so she uses more moves like Yawn and Moonlight! And Serpy is really proud, so I help him get as strong as he can before he attacks!" she paused, shuffling uncomfortably under N's heavy stare. He seemed completely invested in what she said. "Is… that the right answer?"

"This is an opinion based question. There is no right or wrong answer." N responded. "How do you know that they should be treated and strategized in different ways if you are unable to hear their voices?" N asked.

"Umm. Well. Umm." Bianca smiled in the cute way she often does while trying to put her feelings into words. "I talk to each one of my Pokémon a lot. And I'm not sure if they really understand all that I'm saying, but I spend a lot of time talking and playing with them, and we learn a lot about each other. Just by that, I kind of have a feeling that I know what they want, and I know what I should do to help them get to what they want. Uhh." Her cheeks colored. "Does that make sense? Hehe. Um… it's just like how you know if your friend is sad or troubled even if they don't tell you."

N blinked, "Is that so?"

"Umm. Yep! I think that's how it goes," Bianca smiled sweetly.

N turned his wide gaze to me, "You are like that as well?"

I nodded, swallowing down another spoonful of soup. "I think every trainer is like that on one level or another… they are no matter what kind of relationship they have with their Pokémon I think, be it good or bad. This soup… is really delicious."

"That's a very interesting conclusion. I'd like to witness more of it…" N looked down in thought, processing our words, and if true, what they would mean to his overall philosophy. He looked so absorbed in his own thoughts that I didn't want to bother him.

"How are you feeling, Touko? Better?" Bianca asked.

I nodded, "All I have to show for it now are a few bruises." I paused. "Oh. Hold on, I just remembered something." I looked around, and spotted my bag hanging on one of the bed posts. "Bianca, N and I found a Plume Fossil in the Relic Castle. We were wondering if Juniper would be able to revive it?"

"Oh, yes." N mused, "I'd nearly forgotten."

"Really?!" Bianca gasped, "That sounds so cool! Can I check your bag?"

"Go ahead."

Bianca rustled out the fossil quickly and looked it over in awe. "Wow. This is the first time I've seen a fossil like this so close up before! So, so cool!" She smiled widely at the both of us, "I'll go take this to professor Juniper and see if she can bring it back to life!" And in a flash she was gone out the door.

I blinked. "She forgot to take the soup tray back…"

"There is something else I wish to discuss with you, Touko." I turned to N. "Was there any other trouble during your battle?"

I gulped. How did he know, or was he just assuming? I looked at him hard, debating on whether or not to tell him about it. Was it a one off… or was something else going on? "The Dream Smoke… came back."

He remained composed. "I thought it was gone."

I looked down hesitantly, "So did I. But after I was struck by the Mienshao… it just… came back."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" N asked emotionlessly.

"It wasn't as bad as… last time." A shiver ran through me as I recalled my battle with Reginald. Even now it was the source of nightmares. "Last time the hallucinations were horrible… so real and graphic that they… they looked… they…" I hugged myself.

N put his hand on my shoulder, but his expression didn't change. His touch was enough for me.

"It messed up my vision a bit, during my battle with Bianca. Everything was blurry, distorted and colours were weird. It made me feel really sick, but nowhere near as intense as last time." I stared at my hands, "It's gone now. I feel fine but…"

"It's odd," N finished. "When we left Striaton, you seemed completely fine. Even all medical tests checked out okay."

"You're right," I said, clenching my hands tighter. "I think that it was lying asleep in my body somewhere. Hiding away. And only came back out after I'd got struck. I'm not sure if it's still there or not… maybe I can ask Juniper to run a few more tests." I turned to N, eyes serious, "But the fact that it was inside me for such a time… without anyone knowing… scares me… What could it have… been doing to me?"

The only answer was silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:

I received another question from reviewer "Silver-chan" which asks:

"_Okay, I was wondering approximately how old N and Touko, and Christophe are..._"

Good question!  
>The answer!? There isn't one. Meaning? I haven't really pegged down a concrete age for Touko and N in this story (same goes for basically every other in game character though). This question doesn't have an answer because I could never really settle upon one, so I decided to leave it up to the reader (horrible, I know).<p>

However, I can give you this:

The real question here isn't "_How old are Touko and N?_" Rather, it is, "_How long was Touko locked within Team Plasma's castle?_" and this question actually does have some semblance of an answer. I was going to put off mentioning this until way later (like, ten chapters down the road or so) but since someone asked, here's some vague story canon.

In my mind, Touko has been locked within Team Plasma's castle for

**At most**: Twenty Years

**At least**: Five Years

I think that's as close as we're going to get for story-canon ages here. Although, counting on my fingers here... it would probably be more likely to be around five to ten years (also, keep in mind that I have mentioned Touko's age 'pre-story' *psst. Chapter 9!*).  
>However, I want each of you to consider how long it would have taken Ghetsis to establish Team Plasma as the rulers of the nation, brainwash and indoctrinate all the citizenry under a whole new set of laws, truths and ideals (remolding their whole way of thinking, really), and how long it would have taken him to construct all the Dream Factories and Route Walls in Unova.<p>

In reality changes like this could probably take well over twenty years. However, this is Pokeverse, and looking at the changes between BW1 Unova and BW2 Unova (also see GSC Kanto), we can see that a lot can change in a short amount of time. In the end, the answer is really what you guys think it should be within the vague timespan above.

Despite this, I like to believe that N is a couple years older than Touko. He was probably eighteen or so Pre-WHBB, so. Eh. As for Christophe, who is a much simpler matter, I put his age down as twenty or twenty one in his character portrait. That seems about right to me, but he's probably reflective of N's age give or take a few.

Hm. I hope that clears things up a little bit, or at least gets some of you a thinkin'

Well, I think that's all I have to address.  
>I love every single one of you.<p>

Adieu~!


	17. East Hastings

Nearly a month had passed since our arrival at the base and we'd finally started to settle in. It taken a bit of getting used to, living inside a mountain and all, but I hardly ever thought of things like that anymore. In time people can get used to all sorts of things, even living inside of a mountain. And the way this place was set up made it easy to forget about that factoid. It was a base mostly constructed from iron and steel with only a few lesser traveled halls carved of mountain rock. Sometimes I'd find myself pausing to think, "Yeah. I'm inside of a mountain right now, aren't I?" and then continue on my merry way.

Despite my earlier concern and paranoia, which I now thought to be kind of embarrassing or even… outlandish, no one hated us. No one had blamed either N or I for what had happened to the region. It frankly shocked me to my core, and I even thought that they were lying to me at first, and just telling me what I wanted to hear to keep me happy. But I quickly came to see that, just like with Bianca, there was no hatred in their eyes and nothing but honesty in their words.

"There's no point in playing the blame game now," Juniper said to us with a smile. "We'd just be going backwards if we wasted time hating each other for what's already past. Instead we should use that energy to look to the future and right all the wrongs that Team Plasma has done."

Everyone in the base seemed to share those sentiments. And that was that. We were welcomed with loving and open arms into this place. It was what we had missed in Nuvema Town.

I had spent the time during those three weeks catching up with everyone. They filled us in on what had happened after I'd lost to Ghetsis and during Team Plasma's takeover. They told us how they'd managed to escape just before Nuvema Town was invaded and destroyed. They talked about how they gathered up all the Gym leaders they could manage and coalesced to form a resistance. Juniper also described in more detail how the base was set up. Clay was the one who had dug all the passages and rooms with his team of Pokémon, and Elesa had set up all the wiring and electricity for the base; not only was she a model, she was a grade A electrician as well.

The base got the majority of its power from sun and wind power, and in a place like the Resort where if the sun was not shining then there was surely a sand storm about, these proved to be the greatest power sources we could ask for. Clay and Elesa had set up solar panels and wind turbines across the mountain side, but most were artfully hidden and out of sight just in case. The base was stocked with lots of supplies, plenty of nonperishable food was stored in reserve, and Juniper told me that they also had a few greenhouses going which provided fresh produce, but because of the conditions they were only able to grow crops like potatoes and onions. And, even more, during the construction of the base, Clay had stumbled upon an underground spring below the mountains which supplied us with all the water we would need.

All things considered, Juniper had picked an ideal place to set up a base.

I asked Juniper about the Dream Factories and the smoke that they gave off. Even as we spoke it was still being pumped out through the region. I knew what could happen if we kept breathing it in… what it could do deep inside our bodies. If that Dream Smoke was blowing around Route Four, and if we weren't careful, then we all might start going a little stir crazy in this place. Juniper threw my fears aside as she said that the harsh winds and climate of the Resort and Route Four thinned down the Dream Factory emissions exponentially. So in short, it wasn't something we had to worry about here. Because of this however, Team Plasma had built Dream Factories in both Castelia and Nimbasa City so that their influence would not be lessened.

I'd also mentioned to Juniper about what had happened during my battle with Bianca… how the Dream Mist had mysteriously reappeared. The professor ran a few more checks on me, but rather unsettlingly, they all came out saying that there were no traces of the Dream Mist inside of my body. We hadn't any idea what to think of that… but there wasn't much that could be done. No signs of the mist had appeared after my battle with Bianca, so, without to do, we went on our merry way. I still couldn't help but be unnerved by the whole thing.

N and I also told everyone our side of the story. I didn't tell them all the finer details… the tension between N and I during my time in the castle… the nightmares… the solitude… I left all those things out. They didn't matter anymore… I told them that I was imprisoned after I'd lost to Ghetsis and that N had eventually come to his senses and helped me escape the castle. We told them what had happened in Striaton City, but I still left out the part about Miss Fennel having been on Team Plasma's side. I figured it was unnecessary information now, considering that Fennel had come to her senses and helped us in the end. We told them about Christophe, N's replacement, and about what we'd seen in the Dream Factories and how we managed to shut one down. They all listened closely to what we had to say and learned from what we'd gone through. It really felt… like I was home.

It was a nice feeling, being part of this group, this resistance. After my defeat, this is the first place I found where I felt like I truly belonged. Even if it was just a hole inside of a mountain… this place really felt cozy, like home. There was a downside however, and I don't know if this is the kind of downside that I really should complain about. But. We did nothing.

We were in a resistance, right? A group of malcontents that were supposed to rise up against the tyrannical government and save all the poor people and Pokémon from their slavery and usher in a new golden age of prosperity and love for all man and all beast. Right? That didn't happen. I expected us to be out there, you know, fighting against Team Plasma, taking down Dream Factories left and right, freeing the minds of the brainwashed from their control, freeing the poor Pokémon that they kept locked up and used as fuel.

Instead I washed dishes, cooked meals, cleaned, harvested, fixed things, and in between all of that I squeezed in some practice battles with Bianca and a few other members in the base.

I didn't see much of N. The only times I'd really spend with him were during meal times and during the night, since by lack of space we had to share a room. We had two bunk beds there, and I took the bottom on one and he took the top on the other. He didn't snore, and hardly stirred. He spent most of the daylight sitting in front of a computer monitor, sometimes when he didn't show up for dinner I ran some trays over to him. He'd give a terse thank you and get back on with his work, whatever it was he was doing.

I asked him about it and N told me that he was analyzing all of the information on the Dream Factories and such that Fennel had given us when we'd left Striaton City. Juniper and her resistance had also collected a small wealth of information over the years, and N was combing through that with a fine tooth as well.

But that wasn't all that he did. During his breaks, if you could even call them that, N helped keep the base running in his own ways. He fixed some machinery (the solar panels or the old computers that people had brought in), helped things run more efficiently and in a more organized fashion (like who ate what, what went where, and how much of this went to that), and kept things running as smoothly as he could. I was actually pretty impressed. He was capable of a lot. And when he slept… he didn't even stir (I'd checked).

And that was all. All the odd jobs kept me busy. Washing this, cleaning that, gathering this, hanging out that, and I'd even learned to make some neat potato stew. And maybe now you can see why I wasn't in such a position to be complaining. I was happy, life was stable, and I was surrounded by all of my family and friends again, minus a few, I guess. But this routine quickly became mundane. Wash this… clean that… gather that… hang out this…

We were a resistance only in name. All we did was sustain our own lives. We didn't go out into that corrupted world to try and change things. We hid away inside of a mountain and kept on living… like a mound of Durants. I confronted Juniper about it once. I asked her, "Are there any big missions coming up that you want me to go out on? Want to send me somewhere to do something? Any new announcements from the Second N or Team Plasma?"

Her answer, "No. We're doing fine. Nothing yet. There are no problems. Everything is fine."

She told me that jumping head first into that corrupted world, and trying to change things with force and with haste would only expose us and get us destroyed. With people thinking as they did with that thought manipulation, just going out there and tearing down Dream Factories were only going to hurt us more than them. It would only prove to people that Pokémon and the people who used them really were destructive and evil beasts. A world of man and beast… eh?

We had to keep quiet. On the down low. That would keep us alive. That would sustain us, and keep us going. We had to keep quiet. _Keep quiet…_

I was bored.

While we sat here, deep inside of the mountain, toiling away and keeping our lives going, the corrupted world was growing. It was breathing, and it was screaming, and it was only getting bigger. Soon, I worried that it would escalate to a point where small nicks and kinks into the armor wouldn't be able to do anything at all.

* * *

><p>Porridge. I never really liked porridge. My mom always said that it filled you up and gave you lots of energy you needed to face the day. I turned my spoon through it. Just looked lumpy to me. I ate it.<p>

It was lunch, and the mess hall (ugh. Sounds inappropriate to call it that when eating this) was rather vacant. A little bit later, N walked in. He grabbed his own bowl of porridge from the counter, heated it up and took a seat across from me.

"Porridge." I said.

He looked up at me.

"It's lumpy."

He looked down at it, and blew on a spoonful. "It will fuel your body, and give you the energy you need to face the day."

I couldn't answer him at first. It sounded like… someone had also told him that in the past…

When I'd nearly finished my meal, the door to the hall opened and Juniper walked in. She gestured for me to come over, and I did so.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. People were slowly starting to leave the lunch hall now. Meal time was nearly over and they each had to get to their respective jobs.

She closed her eyes. "We've got a transmission, from a familiar of ours in Castelia City. Auston MacArthur. Have you heard of him before?"

I shook my head.

"He's an old friend of mine," she began, and her eyes looked rather distant, as if there was something more to it than that, but I didn't pry. "He's told me that he heard word that Team Plasma are planning something in Castelia City. Something big."

My heart started to quicken. Was this it? Was this finally it?

"You want me to…"

"I want you to go over there, scout out the situation, and help Auston in whatever way you can," she smirked at me. "You up for it?"

"Y-yeah! Of course I am!"

Her smile grew wider, "Good to hear it, Kiddo."

"Wait." I'd just thought of something, and looked back out to the lunch hall to see N still seated there. He wasn't eating, and he wasn't looking at me either, but seemed to be staring deadpan at the wall. Maybe he was trying to hear what we were talking about. I whispered back, "Can I bring N along too?"

Juniper lowered her voice as well, "I think it's a good idea that you don't go alone. You can take him with you if he wants to go, but, can I ask you to take Burgh along as well?"

"Burgh…?"

"Yeah," she smiled weakly. "You see, he's actually part of this base as well, but lots of us don't see much of him because he spends most of his time locked inside his room. I think it'd do him good to get some fresh air, ey?"

"Uhh, sure. Okay."

She gave me a quick pat on the shoulder. "Brilliant. Once you've all assembled, come and see me for details and supplies." And then she was gone out the door.

I stayed glued to the wall, thinking over what she'd just told me. Team Plasma… and Castelia City. What were they planning? What was going to happen? I felt uncertain about the whole thing.

"What was that about?" N asked me, appearing seemingly out of nowhere which caused me to jump.

"Oh… um. Professor Juniper just told me that Team Plasma are apparently, by source of one of her contacts, planning something in Castelia City, but no one seems to be sure what it is yet," I looked up at him. "She wants me to go over there and meet up with this source of hers to see what we can do. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

His face was unreadable and expressionless as usual. "I'd be glad to accompany you."

I smiled, "Good to hear it. However," I put up a finger, illustrating that I had one more point to tell him. He could only blink at me. "Juniper advised that we should bring Burgh along with us as well," I couldn't be sure, but he almost seemed a little disappointed when I'd said that. "But speaking of Burgh, I don't think I've ever really seen him around the base before, have you?"

N paused, "Not that I've seen."

"Weird, eh? I suppose we better go check his room then." I paused and looked back. "You… will join me, yeah? I'd feel better if you were with me… you know… just in case we happened to stumble upon him dead in there." I smiled stupidly.

N blinked. "Of course I'll join you… but, it is highly unlikely that he would have died within his quarters without anyone taking notice of it, and even if he had…"

"Yeah. Okay," I had to stop him. "I get it. It was a joke."

Ha ha. Right?

.

.

Chapter 17

**East Hastings** (_…Victory Star dancing on the palm of my hand_)

.

Everyone's quarters were located in a certain section of the base, which was fortunate since it meant we wouldn't have to turn this place upside down trying to find Burgh's room. Even after the three weeks I'd spent here, I didn't know the place in and out, and I even got lost on occasion. Since we hadn't seen Burgh around the base before, we figured his room was a good place to start looking.

I rapped my knuckles against a metal door which was only set apart by the rest by a label of numbers. "Hello? Burgh? Are you in there…?" But I heard no answer.

I threw N a confused look and he simply shrugged. Maybe Burgh was asleep? Asleep… right? Ha ha… it had just been a joke… right? I raised my hand to knock again but was stopped by a weak voice slithering out from behind the door.

"…_come in_…"

I frowned. Why did his voice sound so weak? Had we caught him at a bad time? Did he just wake up or something? Without the time to waste or speculate, and throwing my paranoia aside, I opened the door and we stepped inside.

The room I had entered was dark, gloomy, and only lit by a small gaslight which rested at a table at the very back of the room. Burgh was huddled over this table with his back facing us, wrapped up tight in a moth-bitten blanket. He didn't turn around and acknowledge us even after he heard us step inside. In that quiet moment, he just sat there at his table, emitting a heavy feeling of malaise. Actually, the whole room seemed to be filled with a very gloomy aura. It was so potent that even N picked up on it as well, his expression mirrored mine; he watched the former Gym leader with quizzical and untrusting eyes.

"Uhh… Burgh? Are you alright?" I asked, breaking the silence and inching slowly forward.

Without turning around to face me, Burgh passed a sketchbook to me from over his shoulder, "Take a look."

I stared blankly at his offer for a minute and I hesitantly grabbed the sketchpad from him. What was I supposed to do with this? By lack of a good answer, I flipped the book open.

What he'd drawn was a cityscape of the dead. Burgh had been widely known for his abstract artistry and love of all insects, but the drawings in this book were only of the former, and abstract almost seemed to weak a word for it. Black towerlike lines had been scrawled heavily onto the parchment with what I guessed was pastel or charcoal. They were ominous, ghostly things which protruded out of square, machinelike bodies. There were circles and squares smudged into the darkness, made to look like glowing windows or outlets in the night. His art transformed against the flickering lamplight and came alive. I was drawn to my memory of the Dream Factories… the tall smokestacks… the rhythmic chugging. I faintly tasted metal, and frowned.

"This is…" I found I couldn't put my feelings into words. "Wow. A…amazing." N looked over my shoulder to also get a look.

I flipped through a couple more pages and saw more of the same. Foreboding cityscapes, some close up with gruesome and wiry detail, and some distant that echoed across untold miles of simple white sheet. The towers rose in the corrupted world. Each page proved to be more ominous than the last, but I couldn't stop flipping through them. I came to a page which had figures shown in the charcoal cities. With hands on their head and contorted under every white glare… they looked to be screaming.

"It's sad…" I murmured.

"That's what it's become…" Burgh said glumly, remaining hunched over in his chair.

I looked up at him.

Burgh slowly turned around to face us, peeking over his shoulder to look at us with tired, baggy eyes. "Those are the ways in which Team Plasma has soiled the industrial beauty… of Castelia City," he dropped his head in despair.

I frowned at the artwork. This is what Castelia had become? "That's sad."

"Yet sadness only breaks the surface…" Burgh hugged himself tighter in his moth-bitten blanket. "And… why?" he looked to us with sleepless eyes, "why are… the two of you here?"

I closed his sketchbook. "We're planning to go to Castelia City, and we need your help." There was no point dancing around the issue. Even if I might throw salt into those old wounds… I needed to tell him what was going on.

His eyes widened, shining against the gaslight.

I continued, "Juniper said to me that Team Plasma was planning some new operation. I don't know what it is yet, but we've been sent to investigate. I know… it might not be easy for you, and everything… it hasn't been easy for me either, but Burgh. We need your help, so… if you could… you know. But if you don't want to…"

Burgh smiled and closed his eyes. "It's alright. I'll come with you."

I blinked. "Really? That was quick."

Burgh rose to his feet, and he was a lot taller than I thought he'd be, and let his blanket fall off his shoulders and to the floor. "I'd been waiting for a day like this for some time now, you know. I've grown tired within this cocoon, not doing anything, just living, waiting for the day I can break free and stretch my wings! If you two plan to go to Castelia City to combat with Team Plasma, then it would be a disgrace for me as a Gym leader and as a man to not accompany you."

"Really!?" I gasped in awe.

"Of course!" Burgh replied heartily.

"Even after… all of this?" I asked, looking back down to his work.

"Well, that is precisely the reason why I must come with you," he smiled, and flipped to the last page of the sketchpad. Nothing was drawn there but a small and green flower. "…so that the future can blossom once more."

"Hey, man, awesome," I had to smile as I snapped the sketch book closed. "Let's do it! Yeah!"

"Onwards!" Burgh declared, putting up his arm as if he held a sword.

"Yeah!" I said again.

N just watched us, perhaps thinking we were getting a little too into it. After all that was sorted, we headed out the door, but were stopped by the former Gym Leader of Nimbasa City: Elesa.

"Oh. Elesa." I blinked, "What are you doing here?"

She frowned slightly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Where are you going?" she asked rather bluntly.

"Uhh…" I hesitated, not really knowing what to tell her, or why it was that she cared in the first place. "To… Castelia, we heard that Team Plasma is…"

She pointed at the three of us, cutting my words short. "Not dressed like that you aren't," Elesa pointed to our clothes, regarding them with a sharp eye.

"Right!" Burgh said, snapping his finger in realization. "We need to disguise ourselves if we're going to enter the city." He grinned guilty, "We are on the most wanted lists after all."

"Good plan." I conceded.

"Alright." Elesa said, "You three, follow me to the studio."

* * *

><p>And the next thing I knew I was getting a haircut.<p>

"Why must you do this to me…?" I said with a frown, watching as Elesa skillfully clipped my hair away, shortening it down considerably. It was a shame. I'd spent such a long time growing it out… but then again… I couldn't remember the last time I'd ever gotten a haircut… it must have been… sometime before I'd lost to Ghetsis… hmm…

"For the sake of disguise." She replied, sounding absorbed in her work.

"Yeah but… but even if you cut it all off I'm still gonna look like me," I said, trying to get a look in her eye without the aid of the large mirror which lay before me.

"Don't move," she said sternly, clipping off a few uneven ends, cropping the strands around my chin. "You underestimate the power of a simple haircut. Changing the way a person's hair looks changes their overall personality."

"Oh?" I wasn't buying it, but then again… she probably knew more about this sort of thing than I did.

"Besides," she said, continuing to snip, in her zone, "We're going to do more than just a haircut you know. I'm thinking freckles… fake glasses… hm." She paused, analyzing me with hands on her hips, "Your eyebrows are a bit scruffy so I could probably tone them down too."

My frown descended. Eyebrows… again?

"We should be about done here. What do you think?" Elesa asked, bringing up a hand mirror to show me how she'd cut the back. My hair was cut at chin length, and I was given new bangs that didn't even reach my eyebrows but splayed over my forehead in small strands. The whole do framed my face, and while I didn't look bad with short hair, I missed it long. Now I knew what N felt like, though I suppose he'd cut his hair off for a completely different reason.

I nodded to what Elesa had said, though my ambivalence made it hard to give a verbal answer.

Elesa put down her mirror and the styling scissors she held. "Then how are you two doing in there?" she turned to the row of booths that N and Burgh had gone into at the beginning of my cut. Elesa had given them some disguises to try on, but they'd yet to immerge. This place was a model's mess. There were tones of clothes and trunks lying all over the place. I was astounded that she even had changing booths in here.

"I'll be but a moment!" I heard Burgh call as I tugged on the strands of my hair. Gone… it was all gone.

"What about you, N?" Elesa asked, leaning on the back of my chair.

"Yes! I… think I've got this on right…" The door to his booth opened a moment later and I heard N walk over. "What do you think?"

I withdrew from the mirror for a second, and I found N stood there wearing a very sharp businesslike suit, all dark and well ironed. It looked nice on him, and I would have complemented him… if not for what I saw on his face. On his face… there was… there was… a line of hair on his upper lip. I gaped at him. _…Mustache…_

"What's with… that look…?" he asked, unsettled by my reaction.

Before I could answer, not like I had the power to, Burgh withdrew from his booth wearing a very colourful suit and a wig of bushy black hair with these really wonky disco shades. "Who on earth are you!?" Burgh gasped, pointing to N in shock. "I've never seen you before in my life!" The former Gym Leader grinned jokily, then sticking out his index fingers in a sort of outdated pose. "Groovy!"

N looked at Burgh in surprise before stroking his mustache. "It actually works…!?"

I rose from my seat, pointing a trembling hand at N's face. "Take it off!"

He stared at me blankly, "What?"

"Take. It. _Off_…" I hissed.

"Yeah…" Elesa sighed, striding over and tearing the fake-stache off by force. "That's not gonna work, looks too out of place. The business wear doesn't work either. We're gonna have to go more casual for you."

N brought his hand to his upper lip, mending his stinging flesh.

"I'm thinking we'll have to put a wig on you since your hair colour is noticeable, maybe black," Elesa continued, "and lose the suit Burgh. Even in Castelia you're going to stand out like a sore thumb."

Burgh frowned disappointedly.

"I'm wondering though…" N began, "Do you really have the means to disguise all of us?"

"You underestimate me." Elesa said, striding over to a chest full of clothes. "I'll do whatever I can to make the three of you invisible in that city, and you don't have to worry because I have more than enough materials to do it with." She rapped her knuckles on a nearby clothes chest. "But in the art of disguise there's something important you must remember. Your confidence in your disguise outweighs its elaboration. I could dull you up with all kinds of clothes and make up, but all of it will be useless if you don't have confidence and certainty in what you are. Got all that?"

The three of us nodded, taking every word she said to heart.

"And another thing," Elesa reached inside her chest of clothes. "You should take these." The former Gym leader pulled out a small box. Inside were three black watches. They were rather thick and bulky looking, and instead of a clock, they had a broad green digital screen on them.

"What are those?" I asked, swiveling my chair around to get a better look.

"They'll be your communicators," she said, handing each of us one. "Castelia is a big city, and it won't be hard to get lost or separated inside of it, especially if you're in disguise." She pressed a button on the side of the watch and three nodes lit up on the surface, each one right next to the other. It didn't take me long to realize that the watches were displaying the location of its brethren. "This'll make staying in touch a breeze. It'll show you the locations of your familiars, but that's about all it can do. It won't be able to send communications or anything like that, too risky, and if you get captured in the worst-case scenario, the watch can also be turned off and only be reactivated by code. Now, time is short so that's enough info for now." She brought up her fingers, "Give me three hours and I'll have each one of your dressed up so well you won't even be able to recognize each other."

But Elesa had it done in two. After we were all dressed up and given fake ID's and passports, Juniper and Bianca gave us all the supplies and details that we would need for the upcoming operation. We were set to meet up with this Auston guy that Juniper had mentioned before. In order to get to that base, we were going to have to take a subterranean path under Route Four to get to the outskirts of Castelia City. Juniper told us that this path was created by the resistance faction, and that Team Plasma didn't even know that it existed.

"What about…" N frowned, "the legal entrance to the city?"

"Wellll," Juniper crossed her arms over her chest and leant back. "If you want to get in the city through the 'legal' border, then you'll need passports, IDs, certification papers, you'll need to go through luggage scans, body scans, metal detectors, you'll get body searched, background checked…"

"I… understand." N said, stopping her before she ran out of fingers to count on. "I had no idea that security around the city borders was so tight. It wasn't like that around Striaton or Accumula to the extent of my knowledge."

The professor shrugged, "It's more lax around the smaller towns I suppose, but Castelia is a totally different story. It's a major megalopolis, you know…the business capital of Unova isn't just going to let any old Tom, Dick and Harry in."

"But," I rustled through the pocket of the gray trench coat Elesa had leant me and pulled out a fake ID, "Elesa's given us these anyway. If we're not using them to get through the border… then?"

Juniper grinned weakly, "Just an extra precaution on the off chance that you get pulled aside by a soldier or guard, or even if you get captured or arrested. It may not be of much use in the latter case, but still, better safe than sorry."

"I see." I said, staring at the fake identity I'd been given. Elesa said that in the city we should refer to each other by codename. I was Tanya, N was Nigel, and Burgh was Arti. For safety's sake.

"So. Now that you've got everything, it's time we head over to the underground path." Juniper said.

We were led out of the base and escorted out of the Desert Resort. There was a hidden door in between a strange formation of rocks that looked something like a pair of horns a few kilometers outside of the base. Juniper bid us her departures and we headed off. She told us that we would be deposited outside of the city walls. Once we got in the city we'd then have to find this Auston guy.

The trip through the underground path wasn't a long one, although it felt longer because of how cramped the passage was, and how we needed to use a flashlight to get through it, but we were eventually deposited where we needed to be: the border.

Burgh lifted up the door to the underground path and helped N and I out of the hole. Behind us was the rugged terrain of the desert and mountains, before us was a city of iron. I felt dwarfed in comparison to the many towers and skyscrapers that jutted out of that concrete goliath. They were so tall and went up so high that you'd think they'd be able to grasp the sun through the gray clouds. It was a foreboding sight, that city, especially to a small town girl like myself. We could hear machines breathing inside of that hive… from over the desert winds, carried like melodies, they reached us in echoes.

"Let's go," Burgh said as he began to walk. "The entrance we should take is around here somewhere," he said, pulling out a small hand drawn map. N and I followed him.

"And… that entrance is?" I broached.

He turned to me with a weak smile. "The sewers."

_Oh… no…_

* * *

><p>When I first came to this place during my Pokémon journey long ago, I remembered feeling just as overwhelmed and stunned as I had now. I felt so small, so out of place. Like I was a foreign piece in a machine full of programmed cogs that knew exactly what their goal was. I found that the feeling had returned now, and I hadn't even entered the city yet. It was unsettling, but what made it even worse was the ominous feeling that just reverberated off the metropolis. I'd felt something similar in Striaton City when we'd first arrived, and I was right when I guessed it was Team Plasma's presence that made Castelia this way. Castelia had felt overwhelming before, but now some very unmistakably evil energy was reverberating off the city… I could only guess at what it really was.<p>

There was a massive wall bordering the northern half of the city, blocking it off from Route Four and making sure that no human or beast alive would be able to get in. In the distance somewhere the legal border lay, but that prospect for getting inside was definitely ruled out by all the reasons Juniper had listed before. If we were going to get into this place it was going to have to be by illegitimate means.

Illegitimacy really stank…

Route Four was almost like a massive land bridge that connected Nimbasa and Castelia together. To either side of this land bridge, the ocean continued to turn and sway. We walked toward it now. It was immeasurable in the distance. Like a huge flat expanse of slate gray. It was foggy, and pretty smoggy, so in the distance I couldn't even glimpse at the western half of Unova, and because of that I couldn't even dream of what was happening over there.

There were no highways or roads this close to the coast. There was nothing this far out but sands and rocks. There weren't even any Pokémon, and it felt really lonely.

I breathed the air, and savored it as I could. I was, to say the least, not thrilled to be sewer crawling again. I thought I'd had enough of that in Striaton, but I knew I could never pledge against it. Oh why, fate?

"There should be a sewer drain somewhere along the edge of the cliff here," Burgh said as we neared the edge. It was getting rockier this far out, and salty winds shoved us from time to time. Burgh stopped near the edge, but not too dangerously close, and, with his hand shading his eyes, looked around for the drain.

"And… you know how we're going to get to Castelia through there?" I asked, taking an uneasy glance back to the dark city which loomed behind us. I shivered. Felt like it was watching us…

"What part of '_I know Castelia like the back of my hand_,' don't you understand?" he said with a smirk.

"And the sewers constitute into that?" I frowned.

"Yes they do!"

Why did he sound so prideful of that? Well, I guess it counted for something.

"Ah! I've found it!" we looked to where Burgh was pointing and saw a large metal drain pipe jutting from the side of the cliff not too far aways. It seemed to be dribbling a sort of unpleasantly colored fluid, but I could only be grateful that it wasn't gushing at the time.

To it we went. Luckily, and some parts unfortunately, the cliff side was pretty rugged and carved with all sorts of ledges and paths from the wind and waters. There was a small ledge leading right to this pipe, which got rather narrow at times, but we soldiered on. I was recalled to my escape from Team Plasma's castle. It was almost just like this, wasn't it? Right on the very edge, bombarded by winds… hundreds of feet… above… the… ground…

"Touko… you have to keep moving," I heard N calling to me, but even though he was beside me he sounded distant.

I was frozen suddenly. Hugging the side of the cliff with my back and looking down at the ocean far below my feet. "Long… way… down…" I choked, suddenly feeling cold.

Burgh looked over to N, "She's not…?"

He nodded, "She's afraid of heights." He grabbed onto my arm gently, "But, Touko. You've flown on Rhoden many times before now, much higher than this and you've proved to be fine. I thought you'd conquered your fear."

"I often wonder if fears truly can be conquered," Burgh mused philosophically.

"Not… the… time," I said through clenched teeth. N was right, but I really had no idea where this sudden fear was coming from. I had conquered it, hadn't I? I'd certainly gotten better, but Burgh seemed to be right. Maybe fears really couldn't be completely let go. "I'm… okay…" I took in a few deep breaths, but the world was still softly swaying, and again I tasted metal.

"Don't worry!" Burgh said, grabbing onto my hand. "We've got you, and _Nigel_ and I shall not let you fall!"

N looked kind of surprised about Burgh's sudden handling of this situation, but he grabbed hold of my hand as well and showed something of a smile my way.

Burgh started on walking, and all I could do was follow. "Fear not, Touko! If we fall then we fall together!"

"Not reassuring me!" But, as I said, we soldiered on.

After my horrific incident of terror was over, we reached the mouth of the drain in one piece, more or less. It was jutting from the rock, and we kind of had to jump to it, clinging to the outer rim and get a footing inside. Burgh made it over first, and N and I followed with his assistance.

Darkness lay before us.

"Home sweet home," Burgh said with hands on his hips, and he tried to crack a smile.

I took in one last breath of the outside air. "Let's just get this over with."

The clanging sounds of metal footsteps were what we left behind. Faint water dripping was all that we heard around us. We were thankful to have a flash light, and it guided us through the dank and the gloom. It didn't start out bad at first, but soon our steps turned from clanking to splashing and splooshing.

I cringed. Not again…

But I had to grin and bear it. There really wasn't much that I could do. We really had to soldier on.

We sloshed through knee deep waters for a time, walking down only one narrow path. We came across no one and we saw nothing. Thankfully, after my jeans were nearly soaked through, we came across the real maze of the sewers. The good thing was, that since we were getting closer to the city, the streams were now bordered by pathways and dull lights shone overhead. We hopped onto these pathways, quickly tried to dry our lower legs off, and soldiered on again.

Burgh, more or less, seemed to know where he was going. Sometimes we'd run into a dead end and he'd cover with some lame, "Oh. This is different," or, "How long has a wall been here for!?" excuse. Though I was appreciating him trying to keep the mood light. It was really hard trying to stay upbeat in this kind of place. It was dark, cold, empty, creepy, and yeah… really freaking smelly.

But more on the creepiness. Dull lamps weren't doing much to light the way, and this place was bathed in shadow. At times I saw things moving out of the corner of my eye, or sometimes when we were stopped I thought I heard sound somewhere down the canals. I kept trying to convince myself that it was just my imagination or something, but one time I really did see someone staring at us from the gloom. The second I lay eyes on him he disappeared down the path and back into the shadows, but I had seen their wild eyes flashing in the light.

"_There's… someone here_," I hissed, clenching N's wrist just to make sure he was still there.

"Yeah…" Burgh murmured, eyes drifting down the paths, all humor gone from his voice. "I saw them too.

"Who… I mean, what are they?" I whispered as covertly as I could, trying to keep the terror out of my voice on the off chance that they could smell our fear.

The artisan shrugged. "The homeless. The poor. The unfed. The undead. Outcasts… murderers… psychos… who knows."

"You're really… freaking me out here, Burgh!" I was squeezing so tight to N's wrist that I was sure his hand was turning blue. He didn't do anything about it though.

"Sorry, but that's how it is. The people who can't live up above decide to crawl down here," he said. "It's alright. They're all human, I know this much for sure, and none of them have any Pokémon with them like we do. They're just curious and scared, but I'm sure they're not hostile and won't attack us."

"What do you base that on?" I countered, not feeling much at ease.

He shrugged, "If they were, then they would have attacked us already." He left it at that, and we kept on walking.

Ghosts weren't the only thing we had to deal with in this place. Burgh hadn't been kidding about the undead.

The former Gym leader was about to turn another corner, but when he'd seen what was behind it, his eyes went wide and he stopped us. "We have to find another way."

I frowned, "Why?"

Burgh brought his hand under his chin and closed his eyes, as if offering a prayer, and said, "The two of you don't want to see this."

Even if I wanted to combat that, I couldn't. Burgh guided the two of us away from what he had seen, and as we left I breathed the faint stench of decay.

* * *

><p>It really should have been a relief to see the light of day, but we really just went from disgusting darkness into disgusting light, and I felt nothing change within me. We'd found a stairway out of the sewers and, after hopping over a chain link fence, we entered into the back alleys of Castelia City.<p>

We entered an ugly place. It was a cramped alleyway, filled with garbage and filth that lay scrunched behind a row of towering apartment buildings. It reminded me a lot of the rundown areas in Striaton City, only multiplied a few times over. We didn't see any people as we slunk through the entrance, no soldiers or shadowy folk, but we counted that as a blessing.

Graffiti painted the walls around us. Some were unintelligible yet colorful blocky words, signatures or gang logos. Some were the uncreative "_penis_" or "_F-you/society/life_". Yet there were some strangely beautiful images of figured people, or painted balloons hanging off of back doors. Burgh approached these drawings with a strange look of half amusement and half admiration, and his fingertips caressed the rough bricks.

I pulled my black scarf up around my neck, trying to block out the chill on my skin and the familiar scent of metallic Dream Mist in my nose. "So," I muffled. "Which way to Auston's?"

Burgh sighed, and with a parting grin, turned back to us, "It should be along outer row somewhere, if my memory holds true. We shouldn't have to go far. Auston said that he'd be standing out there waiting for us."

"But we don't know what he looks like," I frowned.

"I do," Burgh said with a grin, tapping his noggin. "I can't imagine that he's changed much."

"Wait you… know this guy?" I questioned as I struggled to keep up with Burgh's dash-walking, N wasn't having any trouble though.

"You could call us old friends, I suppose," Burgh said with a grin, and we left it at that.

We walked casually down the alleyway, trying not to look like illegal intruders to the eyes that weren't present. We walked along the back of the buildings, and saw more garbage and debris strewn about, but we didn't see very many people. The only other glance of human life we saw was from the conjoining alleyways that led into the more populated streets where bodies bustled like clockwork.

After a while, we finally found the place. At the back door of one of the smaller houses, a middle aged man stood. He was smoking a cigarette, hands in his pockets, eyes skyward.

"I recognize that face," Burgh said, a kind tone settling over his voice. "It's been years, Auston," he said with a nostalgic smile, approaching the man. "I see you're still smoking. I thought you were going to give that up."

"Yeah," The man said in a rough voice, before bringing up his sleeve and coughing sickeningly into it. "But you and I both know I'd be a basket case without the shit." He caught sight of us. "So, who're the kids?" and his eyes narrowed when he caught sight of N and I, but simply shrugged it off a few seconds later.

Burgh gestured to me, "This is Touko. She's going by the name Tanya here. And this is Nigel." Burgh didn't introduce N's true identity, but I quickly figured that it was for the best. It would only cause more trouble and questioning, even for a supporter of our cause. It was good to play it low here.

Auston quirked an eyebrow. "That really the whole story?"

I gasped. Did he know?

"Uhh," Burgh smiled weakly, "Whatever do you mean?"

Auston took a long drag on his cigarette. "Oh come on, Burgh. You're a shit liar. You always have been," he smiled. "Who's he, really?"

Burgh frowned, "I didn't know I was so transparent…" his voice was lamenting.

"I am the former king of Team Plasma," N said, staring seriously at Auston.

The elder man's eyes widened for a moment. "The big kahuna? What the hell…? Are you jerking me here?"

"'fraid not," Burgh smiled weakly. "But… you don't have to worry about it. He's on our side. You have my word that we can trust him."

Auston huffed and blew out a puff of smoke. "I see then. One of those deals, is it?" he locked eyes onto N's composed, yet stern, expression and he then flashed a smile. "Well, things often aren't as they seem." He dropped his half smoked cigarette and stomped it into the sole of his shoe, "Come on in and stay a while."

We were led into Auston's two storey house which also served as his base of operations.

"Just foller me, no need to take your shoes off," he said with a casual wave. We all headed through a hallway which was covered in this really ugly dark green wallpaper that had seen its fair share of wear and tear. Many smudges and old crayon scribbles marked the walls. It almost looked like a family used to belong here in days long gone by. It wasn't any of my business, so I didn't ask Auston about it, we just followed the man and I left it up to imagination.

Auston led us to a living room that sported the same wallpaper as the hallway did.

"Take a seat anywheres you want," he said pulling out another fag. I was surprised he was drawing another after having finished one so soon, but by the way his apartment smelt I wouldn't have been surprised if he went through more than two packs a day. I tried to ignore the stench as best I could as I took a seat on one of the burgundy couches placed throughout the room. N took a seat beside me and Burgh leant on the backboard.

All three of us sat patiently as Auston kicked a few boxes around, shoving them out of the way and rooting through the many papers inside to try and find what he was looking for. While I waited, I watched the haze of cig smoke hover in the dull light above. I watched the particles dance and float around in a sort of daze. It really looked like that light up there was about to die…

"Where's the file, Benjamin?!" Auston suddenly barked with some added cusswords which I shall chose to exempt.

I jumped as a young man peeked out from behind a stack of boxes. What really gave him away was the colour of his hair; it was an electric light blue but seemed to have underlying layers of purple or brighter pink. It looked rather strange, and I couldn't take my eyes off it for a few moments as I debated internally if the colour was natural or not.

Benjamin gave a sigh, and focused back on his work, "You always lose these things, don't you?" I couldn't see what he was doing behind that wall of boxes, but I guessed something electronic due to the glow of a screen on his face and the rhythmic clacking of a keyboard.

"Now's hardly the time to lecture me about it," Auston grumbled, shifting through another box.

"Check the desk," Benjamin said with a wave of his hand, taking a sip of a drink, looked like coffee, with the other.

Auston shuffled over to the desk and began to flip through a stack of papers on top of it.

"So…" Benjamin peeked his head out from the holey box wall, almost kind of looked like he made it to be a fort. "Who are our guests today?"

"Ah, well, Good Sir, I don't believe we've met!" Burgh said with a smile. He must have thought that his disguise was infallible. "I'm Sir Arti Francesco Martin Baxter Willis the Third. I'm a royal from the Sinnoh region come over to visit my old chap Sir Auston, yes." He'd suddenly taken on a very corny, royal accent and I couldn't help but grin.

Benjamin rested his chin on his palm. "Yeah. Hi, Burgh. You get points for originality, though." He sounded unenthused.

Burgh frowned again and looked down at his shoes. "How transparent am I…?"

"There, there," I patted on his back sheepishly.

"I meant these two!" Benjamin pointed to N and I. "These are some new faces! My name is Benjamin by the way. I'm the tech expert and cook here. Auston couldn't boil water without burning the neighborhood down!" he smiled cheekily and dodged another stack of papers flung toward his head from across the room.

Burgh introduced us with a smile. "This is Touko and N. But they're going by the aliases Tanya and Nigel today."

"Pause everything!" Benjamin gasped, pulling his glasses down his nose to get a better look at us. "N as in… the king of Team Plasma N?!"

"Yes, he's the original king, but has defected from their ranks now and wants to help our cause," Burgh explained before either N or I could.

Benjamin pursed his lips and slid his black-rimmed glasses up his nose again. "Then the one on the TV is…?"

"A fake…?" Burgh half stated and asked, throwing N a questioning glance, but N simply nodded his head.

"I see…" Benjamin said, resting his chin against a low-lying stack of boxes. "Although, I think you might be cuter in real life than on the TV…"

"Found it!" Auston said, giving Benjamin a soft whack on the head with his stack of papers, which was only held together by a small clip. Benjamin, slightly disgruntled, turned back to his work.

Auston took a seat on the couch across from the three of us and began flipping through the papers. "So. What did Juniper tell you lot before she sent you out here?" he paused to run a hand through his greasy black hair, slicking it further onto his skull.

"She said that Team Plasma was planning something in Castelia City… but she didn't know the details yet." I replied shyly.

"Heh. She basically hit the mark," Auston said, pausing to ash his smoke. "I sent her the message about it because there've been a lot more soldiers crawling around this place as of late, damn buggers are all over the place." He launched another fit of violent coughing into his coat sleeve.

"You think the increase of troops has something to do with an operation?" N asked, sounding composed and to-the-point as ever.

"Well, if that was all the basis we had to go by than I wouldn't waste time callin' over reinforcements. A buddy o' mine who works near the Dream Factories caught word of a plan being started up. Iron bird or something like that," Auston waved vaguely, blowing a puff of smoke from his teeth in our direction, though I don't think it was intentional, and I coughed.

"Iron bow!" Benjamin corrected from out of view. "Like the bow of a ship!"

Auston grumbled, "And recently the broadcast screens around the city have been talking about an important announcement set to be revealed by the king of Team Plasma himself."

N and I visibly tensed by his words.

"You mean… in this city?" Burgh asked, leaning on the backboard of our seat. "He's coming to Castelia?"

"Yeah." Auston said, dousing his cig in the ashtray nearby. "Today by all accounts." After a lingering silence he began again, "That's basically all we know about what's going on. I don't have the means to leave this apartment and investergate right now, so I want the three of you to poke around the city, listen to that king's speech and see what comes of it, capiche?"

We nodded in agreement.

"Good." Auston leant back in his chair. "Now, before you all head out, would ya like a meal? Benjamin's a damn fine chef."

"Sandwiches!" Benjamin declared happily.

We couldn't really say no to that.

* * *

><p>"Watch where yer goin', asshole!" A man said as he roughly bumped into me and nearly sent me crashing to the pavement. I hardly had time to apologize, or point out that he was the one to blame, before he stormed off.<p>

"Tanya, are you okay?" Burgh asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I said with a shrug, though I would have been better if this hadn't been the fourth time someone had bumped into me today (and blamed me for doing it). It might sound crazy, but I'd gotten used to being walked into, and there were so many people around I just accepted it as inevitable. What really surprised me was how rude everyone was about it.

The streets of Castelia City were packed with people and traffic alike, all bustling to and fro, coming and going to and from who knows where. The sheer size and scale of this place was horribly overwhelming; I was an ant lost in an ocean of bodies and towering metal and glass.

The three of us had to stay very close together to avoid getting lost as we made our way towards Castelia's harbor, and right now I was pretty thankful for these tracker watches Elesa had given us.

Auston told us that Team Plasma's announcement was going to be made at the harbor, but we took it slow because we had plenty of time to kill before it was supposed to start. That extra time was spent cruising around the city to gather information on the announcement, and to see what kind of changes Team Plasma had made to Castelia as a whole.

I felt sick inside of this city. All I could smell was pollution, exhaust, fried food, and Dream Mist, and I choked upon it. There was never a quiet moment here; the city filled with the sounds of bustle and words. This place reminded me of what we'd seen in Striaton City, only that it was much worse and on a much larger scale.

There were hoards of people walking by. Many were clothed in suits or other business wear, which made sense considering this city was the business capital of Unova. But there were other common folk amongst the crowd as well. There were regular men and women all walking around, and they all looked completely normal. The only thing was that they were marching along like Durants in a mound, all busy and all working. No one today was just out for a leisurely stroll, and one could get swallowed up if they dare stop and tie there shoe for even a second—almost happened to me. The people looked kind of bitter, and had a glazed look in their eyes, and not one of them really looked happy. They seemed like cogs in a machine. I knew I'd never be able to live in this kind of environment my whole life. As it goes, you know, the country life is the life for me.

Apart from all of that, there were other people in the bustle too, and they really caught my eye. There were some folk, fashionistas or trend chasers I surmise, that had their hairs dyed a wide array of different colors, kind of like Benjamin's was but much more extravagant. It went all from electric blue to satin red. How could you even get those kinds of colors into hair!? What made it like that? It was intriguing. Their makeup was bright, their jewelry was captivating, and their clothes matched their grandeur as well. There were some people that were wearing fur coats that looked to be made from the pelts of Pokémon. Cinccino scarves. Zebstrika pattern jackets. Lilligant-smelling perfume. No… none of it could have been real.

N stared these people down venomously, but I whispered to him "They're probably fake," to stop him from attacking them, but I don't think I convinced either of us, but at least I stopped him from mangling them.

"We're nearly at the docks now aren't we?" I asked Burgh as I tugged on N's sleeve in attempt to get his eyes of those colourful people.

Burgh replied something, but I couldn't hear him over the combined drone of people and the numerous broadcast screens fused to the buildings above.

"What!?" I bleated as a group of women shoved N and I aside as they moseyed passed.

"It's just ahead," Burgh called, turning around from right in front of me. He pointed over various heads to where the wharf was in the distance.

I harbored a feeble hope that once we got to the outer ring of the city, we'd be free from all the noise. It wasn't just the people that attributed to this bustle. The other source was one that came as a bit of a shock. Unlike in Striaton City, where there was only one broadcast screen, Castelia was filled with the bloody things. They leered from the building rows above like perched predators, watching as the people shuffled by. I felt strangely violated and monitored as they blared at the tops of buildings. Each screen we passed was broadcasting something different than the last. Lots of them were blaring advertisements. Buy this! Buy that! You need more of these! If you want to be successful and accepted, you need to own this! In the simplest of terms, that's what they were all saying.

The commercials for makeup were the ones that really got under my skin. The adverts showed strangely artificial people with big glossy lips, hair like an ironed sheet without a strand out of place, and eyes vibrant and piercing. The advert people looked so immaculate that it was almost disgusting. The smoke and mirrors of television crafted the social norm. The bar these adverts set were at impossible to reach heights. I saw that well enough from all the colourful people who walked by. Their clothes were snazzy and bright, hair ironed flat and faces blotchy and bright. But who was it all for?

There were other screens which showed happy families together, living without Pokémon under the so called 'protective watch' of Team Plasma. There were others that showed this sickeningly delicious food that made my mouth water just at the sight of it, though something in me reckoned that it wouldn't look nor taste as good as it was made to seem on that screen.

When we finally did reach the outer ring of the city, I was happy to discover that the noise was lessened here. There were less people, less screens, and much less noise.

"That feels better," Burgh sighed, stretching his arms out wide. "And we still have a ton of time to kill…" Burgh's expression dropped when he noticed that I was no longer standing beside N. "…Where is Tanya?" Burgh asked, pointing his finger to the place I was supposed to be standing.

N looked to his side in shock to see the reality that I was no longer present, "She… she was just here a moment ago!"

Before either of them had time to panic and start a search expedition, I reappeared, "What are you guys looking for?" I inquired, taking a few licks of my ice cream cone.

"We were looking for you, and where on earth did you get… THAT!?" Burgh asked, pointing an accusing finger.

I pouted at his rude gesture, "I just got it at the vendor over there," I pointed vaguely. "It's a Casteliacone! I used to see lines for these things all the time, but they'd be sold out by the time I got there and I could never buy one. But you wouldn't believe it! There wasn't a single person in line over there, and now I've finally got myself one, mrehehehe." I took another bite of the sugary thing, "I can shee she demand for shem shough, sheshe shingsh are delishioush."

Burgh frowned with his hands on his hips, "You'll be singing a different tune in a couple of minutes."

He was psychic.

I leant over the railing over the sea and tried to keep from chunking Benjamin's delicious lunch into the water.

"Touko… are you alright?" N asked, hesitantly rubbing my back.

"What did I tell you?" Burgh said with a pitied sigh.

"I… I don't… understand…" I blubbered, holding up the half-eaten cone and examining it up close. "It… tasted so delicious at first," but the sugar had left a sickening taste on my pallet, and it really made me feel like throwing up. I was repulsed to eat another bite.

Burgh leant his arms on the railing, heaved a sigh and cast his gaze out to the distant horizon. "It may appear to look good on the outside, but let me assure you that thing is only made of chemicals and other artificial garbage. I doubt there's anything real in it at all." He frowned at me as I gagged over the railing. "Toss the thing if you must," Burgh said with a disappointed frown.

I slowly withdrew from the railing and dragged myself to a garbage bin nearby, and I tossed the cone inside.

I passed a strange character on the way. There was some preacher man squat on the outer ring of the city, looked shabby and unshaven as anything. He kept shouting, heralding at the top of his lungs, calling for apocalypse.

"_Those who bow and those who submit to the will of god will be saved from the approaching Armageddon! He shall save us from the tempests that mar this earth! He'll save us from the floods and the disease! He'll save us from our own foolish selves! Our lord Arceus will embrace the chosen, and those who worship his name, and the sinners and fools who don't believe will suffer an eternity of damnation! Lend your ears! Lend your ears! Praise our lord and seek his salvation! Only then shall your damned souls be saved!_"

His words faded, but were still heard faintly along with the distant drone of the broadcast screens as I rejoined my friends.

"You see," Burgh was saying. "They make all their artificial food products in the Dream Factories, over there," he pointed to the distant east end of the dock where a black building loomed, "and over there," he pointed to the west end where an identical building stood, spewing out altered Dream Smoke.

"Whoa, you mean there are two Dream Factories here?!" I asked, craning my neck and squinting to see through the smog that blanketed the city.

"Yes." Burgh nodded.

"But why two?" N asked, tucking a strand of black hair behind his ear as he too observed the twin structures.

"I'm guessing it is to accommodate Castelia's numerous population." Burgh was saying, "It is a big city after all. Team Plasma wants to make sure that no one is exempt from their influence."

These two factories looked different from the ones I'd seen in Striaton. They looked basically the same: black, beast-like creatures that perched over the harbor, but these factories were much taller than the one in Striaton. They were still bordered by walls, and from where I was standing I could see they were covered in NO TRESSPASSING signs, but the walls weren't as tall as the Dream Factory was, which left the top of the buildings rather exposed. The twin structures weren't overly tall, and were paled in size by many accompanying buildings, but they were still menacing and foreboding as ever, spewing out pink mist from the tops of their towers.

"I've also heard that most of the food made in the city, most of the things you've seen on the broadcast screens, are made in those factories," Burgh gave me a look, "like the Casteliacones."

I avoided his gaze huffily, staring down into the sea to watch the current lap against the harbor. I thought that looking at the ocean would calm me down, like it had before in the past, but I was faced with a horrifying sight. The waters below us were sewer-green and putrid, covered in a thick layer of garbage and pollution. I nearly gagged at the sight. The water was lumpy, chunky looking and coloured so sickeningly that that Casteliacone almost came back up again.

N and Burgh caught sight of what I was looking at and reacted in a similar manner.

"It's atrocious… isn't it?" Burgh said, watching the waters with a composed scowl.

"You seem rather nonchalant about it," I said, covering my hand with my mouth.

He shook his head, "It's not that, I've just become used to it is all."

"I don't see how getting used to this kind of thing is possible." I said through clenched teeth, watching as the waves gurgled against the shoreline.

"How did the water get this way?" N asked, "Don't tell me… the Dream Factories are responsible…"

As a response Burgh pointed towards the base of the factories, "It might be hard to see at this distance, and the smog sure isn't helping… but do you see those drain pipes?"

I noticed that below each of the factories there was some sort of pipe spewing out this sickly green fluid into the ocean.

"The hell is that?" I asked, craning my neck to get a better look at the sight.

"All the waste that the Dream Factories create, the undesirables from the Dream Smoke or the food they make, all of it is dispelled into the ocean." Burgh informed.

"Are you freaking kidding me!? All of this is going on right before their eyes and these people don't even ca…" My words dropped. No. Of course these people didn't care. The Dream Factories and those broadcast screens told them what to feel and think. I'd learned this much from what I'd seen in Striation. It was easier to turn a blind eye.

I faced towards the water with a remorseful gaze, only to notice something I wish I hadn't seen. Among the clumps of garbage and waste that rested atop the ocean, there was something else that floated. It looked like garbage bags at first, lumps of cardboard or…

Then I saw the bones. Basculin, Alomomola, Frillish… the many decayed corpses of water type Pokémon were floating atop the ocean. They were decomposing, slimy and rife. They rotted and baked in the distant heat. My heart fell right to the pit of my stomach. _Oh my god…_

"What's the matter, Touko?" My heart jumped right back up to my throat once I heard N speak. I had to stop him from looking. I had to make sure that he wouldn't see this! I didn't move fast enough. He followed my gaze… and noticed it too.

His jaw fell, and eyes spread in shock. He looked like he couldn't believe it, that the lumps on the water were just clumps of garbage or food; he couldn't deny the reality. He bit into his lip, hard, hands finding the railing and grasping down till knuckles turned white. He looked like he'd just seen a friend die, and tears began to brim. I hesitated at first, not knowing whether to comfort him or just leave him be. Only when his tears split did I react. I wrapped my arm around his back and stroked softly, murmuring words of comfort. I couldn't say that everything would be fine over the corpses of those Pokémon, so instead I said, "I'm here." But my words spoke hard.

Burgh blew out a heavy sigh and watched the waves roll across the horizon.

A sudden trumpet call echoed through the city. All the screens in the city simultaneously flashed the emblem of Team Plasma and an announcement rang though the air. The screens beckoned for their citizens, and the people followed the cries like sheep.

"Looks like it is staring," Burgh said with a serious eye fixed on the streets behind us. "We better get going." And without waiting for a word from us, the former Gym Leader followed the people to the center street of Castelia City.

I turned to N and was about to offer him my hand, but he stalked forward before I even had the chance. I followed after the both of them, and tried to rid the frown from my face, but I didn't have much luck.

We melded into the sea of bodies that had gathered on one of the streets. We were sectioned off from the main road by a fence of heavily armored Plasma soldiers. They were here for precaution no doubt, but by the way the people looked so adoring and pleased, I figured that we were the only ones they had to worry about.

I couldn't see much of what was going on at first, since there were so many people around and we hardly had front row seats, but before I could even ask N and Burgh what they could see, a line of visored soldiers began to walk down Main Street. I watched the soldiers nervously as they led a black limo down the road, and sitting atop the opened top vehicle, waving regally to his subjects, was none other than Christophe.

The people cheered when they saw him, blew kisses his way, praised his name, shed tears on his behalf. They were acting like he was some sort of savior, some sort of god.

The soldiers continued to lead the king on until they stopped at the outer ring of the harbor where a grand podium had been set up. The soldiers which had kept the crowd at bay during the king's passage, now herded the people towards this spot. N, Burgh and I were carried with the current and we amassed under the obelisk. A huge throng of people spread out before the podium, and it went so far back that it even filled all of Main Street, but even then I figured that all the citizens couldn't have been present. I noticed lots of cameras set up around the podium, broadcasting this event to every single screen in the city, be it on the massive jumbotrons which watched from above, or television screens nestled in the dens of people's homes. I could even imagine that this event was being broadcast to all the other screens in the region as well.

What was happening? What was going on? What exactly was Christophe, or Ghetsis for that matter, planning?

The mayor of Castelia City stepped up to the podium. He was a stout, balding man, well aged and as red and round as a tomato. He looked flustered and incredibly anxious as he viewed the people of his city. The mayor was obviously not used to being in the presence of such authority, and it being a live event only made it worse. He certainly didn't want to act like a fool in front of hundreds of people, not to mention the very king of the region.

"M-my citizens of Castelia City!" He said in a deep, rich voice, spreading his arms out to address the masses. "We have the great honor and privilege of being blessed by the presence of our glorious king this day! P-P-please show your greatest respect to our eternal lord, N!" The mayor said, and despite how utterly freaked he looked, the people below erupted in cheer as Christophe walked up to the podium and shook the mayor's hand. They exchanged a few short greetings, which weren't heard by the microphones and the mayor stepped down.

Christophe stood before the thousands of people who watched him, and cast a wide glance across all their adoring eyes. He spread his arms out and said, with a voice that echoed through every screen in the city, "People of Unova! I come bearing both good and bad news for you." He paused dramatically as the crowd leaned forward anxiously. "As you are well aware, there exist creatures in this land. Abhorrent and vile beasts that know of nothing but to destroy and maim. Yes. It is the beasts known as Pokémon of which I speak!"

The crowed collectively scowled and hissed their loathing.

Christophe put his hand to his chest as if he could feel their combined hatred and fear. "As you all well know, my dearest of people, Team Plasma and myself have been working restlessly to drive back and contain these beasts, so that they will not, and can not have the opportunity to corrupt our perfect world. We have erected walls around the routes to keep them contained," he gestured to the twin Dream Factories. "With the creation of our factories we have driven the creatures away and kept them from their advance, but it may not have been enough." His expression twisted, as if he was in great pain and sadness, and looks of sympathy blossomed from the crowd. "Most of you have acted well and have kept a great distance from the Pokémon, but there are some among us who wish to return Pokémon to our world." Christophe's face of pain quickly turned to one of great disappointment.

The crowd began to boo and hiss at the very prospect of what Christophe had said. He welcomed their hate with outstretched arms, nodding his head to tell the people he shared their feelings.

Christophe reached below his podium and pulled out a small, cylindrical cage made of what looked like glass. Inside of the vile was a Victini. The crowd drew a breath of shock as Christophe held the Pokémon up for all to see. The creature lay contorted in its jar, curled away from their hatred glare as if in shame.

"A group of terrorists had set up a base in Liberty Garden, an island very near to this beautiful city. These rebels worked towards the goal of saving this Pokémon, of setting the creature free!" Christophe thrust the cage outward to the audience who roared angrily at the little Pokémon who hadn't done anything to hurt them.

I turned to Burgh with a look of question. If the group mentioned were trying to set the Victini free, then they were undoubtedly on our side. Did Juniper have any ties to these people? Burgh flicked his eyes to me, just quick enough to see my questioning look, before he shrugged.

"Do not fear, my people! The terrorists have been dealt with. They will no longer be able to oppose our humble way of life," Christophe said, but I figured that was just a nice way of saying that they'd been killed. Christophe placed the cage down out of view and addressed the people again. "The terrorist Touko. The man who has stolen my image. The people who wish to rejoin us with Pokémon, many obstacles have arisen in our path to a beautiful world. Many of you are probably wondering which steps Team Plasma plans to take to combat this issue…" He scanned the crowd again with a burning gaze, that didn't drop in intensity no matter how far away he was. "Allow me to show you!" he boomed, throwing his arm to the side. "Operation Iron Bow!"

A lumbering beast drew forward from the docks, a massive battleship that plowed through the garbage and corpses in the ocean, coming to a stop and displaying itself right behind the king.

"Allow me to introduce our Black Ships!" The second N threw a hand out to the towering goliath. The people stared up at the ship in awe, pride and fear. "These ships will be put in place to guard our borders from the many other nations in this world, nations that live alongside Pokémon as if they were partners," Christophe seethed in disgust, and the crowd echoed his emotions. "But that is not all! With these ships we shall also make sure that people on our own soil obey our wholesome laws and ideals, and take no actions of reuniting beast and man together." Christophe smiled gently down at the people with N's face, "As long as you follow Team Plasma's guidance, than we shall lead you all to a world of eternal peace, a world without Pokémon!"

The crowd erupted in deafening cheer as Christophe spread his arms out wide. _Long live our glorious nation_, they cried blindly. They praised. They groveled. And the sound just wouldn't stop, in fact, it only seemed to grow louder. Christophe basked in their praise and in their worship as the Black Ship watched from the waters. I don't know what those people saw. I don't know whether they saw a king and a vessel of protection, or what. But to me, all I could see was a monster up on that stage, and a beast stood behind him, waiting for the moment where it would drag these people down into the ocean, and leave their bodies to rot over the current.

The cheering lasted for a frighteningly long time, and when it died down the mayor of Castelia reappeared and offered Christophe another standing ovation. After their cheers had finally settled, the mayor got up on the stage and started announcing gas prices, sales figures and stock rates. Most people took off back into the streets, harbor, and houses, back to their routine lives.

I was about to turn to Burgh and ask him what we should do next but before I could, I noticed N sprint off into the crowd. "Hey! Wait a minute!" I couldn't call out his name, and I couldn't reach out to him. He soon disappeared into the gathering of bodies and out of sight.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note:<strong>

This chapter was influenced by a song called **East Hastings**, by _Godspeed You! Black Emperor_**.**


	18. The Will of One

_We have control. We keep you safe. We are your hope._

**We are in control.**

* * *

><p>Everything was quiet now. People no longer roared, no longer cheered. They had long ago left back to the streets and back to their homes. Only few now remained here, along with dock workers and guards. The ocean full of garbage and bodies was lapping peacefully against the docks. The machines in the twin factories were still marching away to the beat of their own drum. The screens were chattering at the tops of buildings. All sounds that remained melded so softly, and drifted through the salty breeze of afternoon.<p>

The Black Ship was resting at the pier when I returned. It still stood before the city, watching and waiting, like a guard. Burgh was leaning on a railing nearby, observing it with a mild interest. He caught sight of me as I approached.

"So." A frown spread on his face when he saw that I had returned alone, "You haven't found him yet?"

I shook my head, doubling over in exhaustion once I'd reached the former Gym leader. "I've looked all over the place, but it's impossible… there are so many people around here and so many places that he could have gone." I grit my teeth as my breathing slowed, "That idiot. What the hell is he thinking? Taking off and not even telling us where the hell he's going…" My fists clenched onto my coat as I struggled to keep my anger under wraps.

Burgh sighed and leant back on the rail. He looked back to the warship which bobbed slowly atop the waves. "He's turned his tracker off too, so I don't think he wants us to go look for him."

I glanced at Burgh curiously.

He noticed the look and continued, "We have to get onto that ship and rescue the Victini."

I didn't answer right away, "But what about…"

Burgh shook his head dismissively, "We can't waste time turning this city upside down trying to find him. Not while that thing is here." Burgh turned his gaze from the ship to the many Plasma soldiers which were now seen patrolling around the harbor. A lot more guards had shown up after the king's announcement had finished.

"I know but… but what if he's…" Burgh placed a firm hand on my shoulder which caused me to find his eyes.

"Have faith, Touko," he smiled. "Have faith that Nwill return. I can imagine that he's not in the brightest of places after seeing and hearing… all of this," while Burgh still kept his hand on my shoulder, his eyes were distant, "Pokémon are the most important things in the world to him. I can only imagine how it would feel to watch someone who looks just like you parading around the nation, telling everyone in the region that Pokémon only exist to destroy…"

I frowned, staring hard at the concrete of the harbor, trying to image how that would feel. Awful is the only conclusion that I could settled upon, but in truth, it must have been far worse than that. More awful then even words could describe.

"So I think instead of searching for him, he'd instead want us to spend that time doing everything in our power to save the Victini. And who knows, maybe we can put a dent or two in that Black Ship while we're here." I had to grin, and he continued. "Have faith in him, Touko. In the meantime, we have work to do," Burgh looked back up to the battleship before us and it matched our gaze. "We may not have another chance."

I straightened myself, took in a deep breath and stomped my emotions down. "Alright. Let's do it."

.

.

Chapter 18

**The Will of One **(_…dark giants dying_)

.

N was running as fast as he could through the iron maze of the city. His lungs ached with each breath he choked. His legs felt the weight of stone and begged to give out, but despite the pain, he continued to run from the inescapable.

Christophe's speech chased after him. _"…there exist creatures in this land. Abhorrent and vile beasts that know of nothing but how to destroy and maim…"_

It kept endlessly echoing through his mind. Echoing…

"_Yes! It is the beasts known as Pokémon of which I speak!"_

The words were the poison that the people so eagerly drank. N felt utterly sickened to know that his face… some other person wearing his own face was feeding that kind of poison to them. And the people simply embraced his words and his forged ideas without even the slightest hesitance or question. They didn't think… they only ate… so easily.

Betrayal… disgust, things like that were only the tip of the iceberg for the former king. He didn't know where to run or where to turn, because every single path he took led him only deeper into the corruption. He'd run through the bustling streets, bumping into people but not looking where he was going. He didn't see them as he ran by. He didn't hear their harsh voices chasing after him. He couldn't think… could hardly breathe… only ran… so painfully.

Turn another corner, hit another body, keep running…

He had, in time, entered the bowels of the city. He hadn't known how he'd made it here, but he couldn't care. He did not so much as glance at the filthy streets he sped through, and did not see the haggard forms that drifted in the shadows of alleys and the buildings. These were the dregs where the killers, homeless and gangs correlated. Their domain, which existed away from the general populace, but remained under the protective watch and in ready earshot of the broadcast screens.

They were only ghosts to the imposter king. The inside of his mind was so painful, so tumultuous that the world was nothing to him anymore. He only had one goal in mind, and that was to escape. Even though he already knew that this city was a maze that had no exit… he continued to run until he could run no more.

He was on his hands and knees in the mouth of some filthy alley, nothing else around him but garbage cans and muck. He'd reached his first dead end. Without having physical motion to distract him, the thoughts in his mind only seemed to grow, and the king's speech roared louder in his head. _Pokémon: tyrannical beasts who only wish to wreak havoc and destroy our humble way of life. They must be stopped! They must be destroyed!_

N shut his eyes tight and clenched the sides of his head. If he squeezed hard enough then perhaps the words would fall silent. But nothing disappeared. Thoughts only grew louder and danced merry mocking circles inside of his head. And the taste of metal was on his tongue.

The world around him felt like it was spinning, melting and dripping away. His body was tingling aching, crumbling away. He tried to suck in breath like a fish out of water, but each gulp in strengthened the nausea. His stomach felt as if it was sinking, just like the bodies above the waves. N clamped a hand hard over his mouth.

_Stop…!_

—_**CRASH!**_

His eyes shot upward. He could see something in the alleyway. He dropped his hand from his mouth, eyes widening to get a better look. There were eyes in the darkness, watching him. N's first thought was "This is an enemy" but the creatures that watched him intended him no harm. Once his eyes adjusted, and the darkness had quickly and graciously cleared away, N saw two children standing there.

They were hiding, fearful, behind a cluster of garbage tins, their eyes wide and wondrous.

Both parties froze as they caught sight of each other, like the hunted catching sight of the hunter.

It was hard to see much of them from behind the shield of clutter, and the dull sunlight wasn't helping any, but even out of spotlight their destitution was clear. The children were thin, bony, covered in filth and grime. Their dark skin was cut and bruised; their black hair was mangled and tattered.

The former king found himself interested. He withdrew from his depression and looked curiously up at the duo. They looked similar, N noted, like a brother and sister. Their eyes, the colour of their skin and hair, their facial features, all looked so similar. Cut from the same cloth yet altered slightly by gender.

As N stirred and seemed to move towards them, the children jolted in fear and made to run off. "W-wait!" N called after them, reaching out his hand.

They didn't listen, or perhaps they didn't even hear his shouts, and they dashed off down the narrow alley. Before they could disappear down a conjoining path, the little girl of the two tripped and fell over. The boy hadn't noticed and he rushed off down the path without her. The girl only had a moment to watch him disappear as she was frozen by the sounds of N's approaching footsteps.

She turned to find him standing there, backlit by the muted light, and looming over her like a sinister giant. The girl gave a squeal of fear and brought up her arms as some kind of feeble protection from the jaws she expected would grab her.

No jaws came, however.

N was both perplexed and intrigued by this child. Who on earth was she? And why did she look this way? So filthy, so haggard. Where was her home? Where was her family?

Her shirt, nearly rags now, seemed to have once been a bright pink. Her hair which was such a deep, jet black was so tangled and knotty and appeared not to have been washed in many months. The same applied for her dark skin, which showed bones.

N frowned as he knelt down and shrugged off his small backpack. He zipped it open and began to rummage around. The girl peeked over her arms in curiosity. Before she even had a chance to ask what he was doing, he pulled out a plastic wrapped sandwich and offered it to her. "Here. It's tuna."

The girl blinked at the sandwich, not quite knowing what to make of this. After a silence, she finally asked, "Wh-wh-what about y-you?"

N showed a faint smile, "I wasn't going to eat it anyway. I don't like meat."

The girl snatched the sandwich from his hand without another word. She tore the wrapping off and began to chomp it down as if she hadn't eaten for days.

"Piper!" N looked up to see the boy from moments earlier rushing back, as if he'd just come to realize that the girl hadn't been following him. The boy looked shocked when he saw some strange man with his sister. He spared not a second as he raced over and stood protectively before her. "You-you better leave her alone, ya hear me!? If you hurt her, I swear I'll…" But he was cut off when Piper wrapped her arms haltingly around his waist.

"No! Wait, Terrance! He's a good guy! He gave me dis sammich!" Piper said with a mouth full of chewed food.

"What!?" he snapped, turning his head to look at her. "You don't even know anything about him! Just 'cuz he gave you something means he's good?! Don't be stupid! Don't you know you're never supposed to talk to strangers!"

Piper gawped, "What do you know!? Terrance, you dumb head!"

N stared at the both of them as they began to bicker, noticing that the boy looked just as thin, if not even more so, than his sister did. N rustled out another sandwich and offered it to him, ending their squabble in the process. "Do you want a sandwich too?"

The boy gave N a blank, confused stare, before seizing the sandwich, turning his back in a huff and munching it down. Hunger seemed to have won him over in the end.

N watched them patiently as they ate, but eventually found it in him to ask, "What are the two of you doing out here on your own? Why are you not with your mother and father?"

The boy scoffed, "That's none of your…" but before he could finish, his sister cut him off.

"They aren't around anymore," she said, looking at the ground sadly.

The boy gawped, "Piper! You weren't supposed to tell him!" and he punched her shoulder.

"Ouch!" she squealed, bringing up her hands to try and slap his face, but she wasn't near tall enough, "Terrance, you're a booger head! You smell like poop!"

"Hold on!" N said meekly, putting up his hands, "Please don't fight. Could you just calm down and tell me what's happened?" he asked, trying to sound as gentle as he could.

Terrance made a face and turned his back again, crossing his arms stubbornly.

Piper sat back down and continued with eyes downcast, "I think it will be okay if I tell you about it, because I can tell that you're not a bad guy." She smiled softly, "Because ever since we been out here, nobody has ever given us foods and stuff before. You're the very first to, ever. So thanks, Mister. What's your name anyways?"

"It's um," N managed to catch himself just in time. "Nigel."

Piper grinned heartwarmingly before saying, "My name is Piper, and this is my big brother Terrance, but he's a dummy-head who doesn't like anyone, so you don't need to be upset if he doesn't like you."

Terrance snorted.

Piper looked down at her hands on her knees and paused, as if thinking of where to begin. "Mister Nigel…? Are um, are Pokémon bad?"

N looked taken aback, for this was the last thing he was expecting her to say. Piper quickly noticed this.

"Well, I mean, are Pokémon really bad like everyone says they are? Do they really destroy things and ruin things like everyone says they do?"

N's expression turned hard as stone. "Those are all lies."

Piper blinked as though she didn't fully understand, "Then why does everyone keep saying that it's true then? Those Plasma guys are protecting us, right? Why would they lie?"

N found that he couldn't look her in the eye. "Telling lies is a form of manipulation. There are people in this world that will spread lies in order to get people to obey everything that they have to say. Since, when someone you believe in, and someone you trust in, tells you something… it's only natural that you would believe it," N looked down to where his hands clenched his knees. "When people rise to positions of power, and everyone trusts and believes in what you say, and everyone thinks that you can protect them, there are only two choices that you have left. The choice to sacrifice yourself to save them, or sacrifice the world for yourself. When you're at the top of the world… there is so much to be gained at the expense of all other life. The dark nature, that thinks of such things, is something I believe that hides within every human life," his voice had fallen to the point where it almost sounded as if he was musing.

"But Pokémon never tell lies… not in the ways that humans do. Not in ways that could create something like this…" he looked up to the buildings that were leaning over them.

Piper blinked at N with wide eyed innocence. "Um. I don't really get it!" she said with a chipper smile. At least she was honest, "But you're just like our Mommy!" N looked rather taken back by this. Like her mother? He hadn't recalled ever being likened to someone's mother before, and wasn't sure how exactly to react. _Thank you_?

Piper quickly noticed the look on his face and realized she'd have to explain.

"Um, I mean, our Mommy said stuff like that a lot too! She didn't think that Pokémon were evil and bad guys like everyone said they were! Right?" Piper looked to her brother, but he still stood with his arms crossed and his back turned like he wanted no part of the conversation. Piper stuck her tongue out at him while he wasn't looking.

"Then…" N began, "what happened to her?"

Piper shook her head, "I don' really know. Both of them… Mommy and Papa… they both disappeared and we haven't seen them since! We don't know where they went! We've been looking everywhere, in all sortsa places, but we can't find them!" Piper started to tear up, and in an uncharacteristic gesture of kindness, Terrance knelt down and rubbed his younger sister's back.

Terrance continued the story, "Mom would usually disappear a lot. She called them trips, but she never really told us where she was going. Dad seemed to know all about it, but sometimes he didn't seem too happy about it, ya know. I asked her…" Terrance looked anywhere but in N's eyes. "I asked her where she would always go to. All she would say to me was that we shouldn't believe anything that those TV screens are telling us, and we shouldn't believe anything that Team Plasma is saying about how evil Pokémon are." Terrance shrugged. "I don't know. I've never really seen a Pokémon up close before so… I don't really know if they really are evil or not, or if they really are as bad as everyone always says. But my Mom never once lied to me either, so I believed in what she said. She told me that she would do whatever she could to make everyone start to say that Pokémon were good instead of bad…"

N's throat started going dry.

"But-but…" Piper continued, "one day she went away on her trip but never came back!"

"Dad went out to go look for her. He said he'd come right back by next morning, or at least he'd give us a call but…" Terrance looked at the filthy streets with eyes hard as steel.

"He didn't come back neither…" Piper finished, tracing the cracks in the concrete with her finger. "A little while after… some soldier guys came to our house and tried to take us away. We didn' let um' though! We ran away and tried to find our Mommy and Papa ever since. But this city is gigantimungus!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms wide to illustrate, "I don' know… I don' know how we're ever gonna… find them again… what if we… don't ever find them again?" and she broke down in tears.

Terrance looked down at his sister pityingly and tried to calm her down by silently stroking her back. The look in his eyes was strange. There was sadness, but it looked as though he knew something that she did not.

N felt a chill run through him. In his mind he started piecing together everything that they'd said. Their parents, how they'd gone missing, the rebel group that had recently tried to save the Victini… and what had become of them. Could it be possible that the parents of these children had been part of that group? Were they the ones who had tried to save the Victini from Team Plasma? If that was the case, then their parents were…

"_You there_." A voice hissed from behind them. "Is that food you got there?!"

Piper's sobbing immediately ceased, and her eyes went wide. None of them had seen him coming, but they turned around to see some bony man dressed in rags standing behind them. His eyes were red and bulging, his head balding, his teeth yellowed with decay. The most alarming thing about him was that he carried a pocket knife in his hand, which trembled erratically as he grasped it.

"Hand over all the food and money that you got, an' I… an' I won't rip yeh up," he let out an unstable laugh, "_s-s-s-sound good_?"

At the very sight of the man, Terrance and Piper sprang up and dashed off down the alleyway. This was an enemy. Terrance and Piper had seen many people like this during their times in the gutters, and they'd come to recognize the signs, most of which weren't hard to spot. The trembling of his thin body, the wild look in his eyes, it meant danger and they weren't bound to stay around to get killed. Before the children could run too far off, Piper looked back to see N hadn't run away. He was instead standing his ground before the man.

Piper screeched to a stop. "What are you doin', mister!?" she called back, "You gotta get away! That guy is dangerous!"

But N didn't listen to her. He simply stared at the man, both perplexed and disgusted. "Are you really going to kill me?" the question was said so calmly, so without fear, that the attacker balked.

"Whut?"

"You're going to kill me?" N said, louder. "You are truly willing to take away someone's life in order to maintain your own? Your life… in this place?" He hardly needed to look at his bones and all this filth to see that this was not living… was it even surviving? "Is this not a paradise?" Silence met this question, and he continued, "I thought that this place was a paradise built in order to keep you safe, in order to protect you from monsters? Is that not what all of the broadcasts say?"

The hand that held the knife trembled more violently. Eyes reddened, but never left the Imposter King.

N titled his head backward, gray eyes shining just like that blade in the light. "In my eyes… you are the one who looks just like a monster."

"Wha…?" the bony man backed away a few steps, unsure what to make of this man's words—they did not make much sense in his clouded and drugged mind. "I've got no idea what the fuck you sayin, but if you don't cough up the money you got, _you'll be torn up_…" he raised the knife to illustrate, and it glinted in muted light.

N spread his arms, "Why don't you go and try it."

The man fell for the taunt. He grabbed N by the collar of his shirt and threw him up against a wall, poising the blade, preparing to plunge it into his skin. His reddened eyes bulged even further, swollen, decrepit, and so wild. Just like a beast, wasn't he?

N didn't remove the disgusted look from his face, even held up at knife point he was unfaltering and composed, and that freaked the bony man out. Before he could attack, a rock flew over and knocked the bony man in the side of the head. He screeched, howling in fury as he brought up his hand to wipe away the fresh stream of blood. The man turned, loosening his grip on N in the process, only to find another rock flying his way which landed right in the center of his forehead.

"Leave him alone!" Terrance said, getting another rock ready.

Piper charged at the bony man, brought up her arms and started punching his legs with her tiny fists. Her method didn't have as much success as the rocks did, but it was her effort that counts.

"You damn bloody brats! I'll gut the fucking lot of you!" But before the bony man could make another move, he found himself pinned down to the ground by a great, black fox. Laika pressed down on the man with her weight, snarling, bearing her teeth menacingly. All the attacker could do in rebuttal was to cower in fear.

N approached slowly and put a gentle hand on Laika's bristling mane, keeping his eyes locked on the bony man who writhed pathetically in fear. "It sickens me," he said, "how people like you can walk around killing others to suit your own needs," he seethed, so cold, so detached. He seemed miles away. "You are a monster."

"NO! P-please! Let me go!" The man continued to struggle, but got nowhere fast under Laika's weight. N only watched him squirm, observing his fear with no emotion of his own, yet in a way… he almost looked pleased. Laika raised one of her claws and prepared to bring it down.

"Stop it!" Piper cried, throwing her arms around N's leg. The girl's small voice snapped N out of his focus, and he stared at her in shock. "You can't do it!" she blubbered through tears, clenching his leg, "You can't kill him because, b-because… you're a good guy! An' good guys don't… good guys don't kill other people!" she buried her face into his pant leg and cried.

The imposter king's world turned numb.

_Good guys don't kill other people._

N looked down to the eyes of the bony man, the monster he was about to kill, and saw only fear there… and sadness. Everything came fading back in.

_What… what am I doing…?_

"Laika." N said, voice composed betraying what he felt, and what was shown in his eyes, "Let him go. Please."

The Zoroark looked confused for a moment, but slowly, reluctantly, obeyed. The man continued to lay on the ground in paralyzed shock, and only snapped out of it when N approached. The former king picked up his bag and rustled out his last sandwich. He knelt before the bony man and offered it to him, but the damage had already been done.

"Get the fuck away from me, you fucking freak!" The bony man scrambled to his feet, knocking the sandwich to the ground, and ran as fast as he could away from the sight.

N remained crouching, his empty hand out, the sandwich splayed across the ground before him.

Terrance and Piper watched N cautiously. The sight they had just witnessed made them feel apprehensive towards the former king. The man who had just fed them, the man who had seemed so kind mere moments ago had shown another face. A stronger, more terrifying visage. And in addition to that, he carried Pokémon with him. It startled them both, and they really didn't know what to think. Who exactly was he?

"M… Mister Nigel?" Piper squeaked.

"That is not my name." N said, rising to his feet. The former king tore off his black wig and let it drop to the ground. He turned back to the children who watched him with wide eyes, "My name is N, and I am the king of Team Plasma."

They could only respond with shocked silence as N walked towards the mouth of the alleyway and faced the direction of the docks. In the distance, the sounds of battle boomed noisily over the drone of screens. Even some people in the streets had been aroused by the strange sounds, and chattered questioningly amongst themselves.

"Wait a minute!" Terrance called out, "Where the heck are you going!?"

N stared into the distance, his features hardening. "I'm going to save them."

"You're what?" Terrance asked.

"I believe I've realized something, and I have the both of you to thank for that," N looked down, not even glancing Terrance and Piper's way.

"Wha? But we… we didn't do anything!" Terrance said.

"I really can't… run away. Not anymore… not after all of these years. I thought I'd known that. I truly thought I'd known…" his hands clenched, voice in self disgrace. "But even now I'm running away. However… whether you are aware of it or not, in this dark place, the two of you have reminded me of that." His eyes were distant as he spoke.  
>"I can't plug my ears, cover my eyes, and pretend that none of this really exists, and that I had not ushered it to the heights it's now reached. For this," he spread his arms to this hollow world, "I am the only one to blame. If I continue to run, and continue to attack the people that this system has created… I really would be no different from that king… and Ghetsis… and nothing would never change for the better."<p>

Terrance and Piper still looked so surprised and shocked, unsure even now what to make of this man.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!" Terrance could only blurt.

N finally turned to look at Terrance and Piper. Oh how haggard they looked. How broken. He smiled, "Pokémon are not your enemies. If I can do anything at all to change this world, I'd at least like people to know that. I would like you to remember that as well. I am going…"

"To… to where?" Piper squeaked.

He stopped walking. "To face the world, of course."

Before they could speak another word, the imposter king walked off back into the city.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready?" Burgh said to me under his breath.<p>

I stared hard at the Black Ship where it loomed before us. Just looking at it made me feel uneasy. It wasn't too far from the feeling I had when looking at the Dream Factories or watching what flashed to and fro on the broadcast screens. There was a small group of soldiers standing guard near the ship's entrance ramp, chatting amongst themselves.

I swallowed hard. Time to bring down the beast.

"Yeah. When you're ready." I responded, and without another word Burgh strolled forward.

The soldiers' eyes fixed warily on him as he approached, and as he got closer one of the guard's brought up a halting hand and said, "Pardon, Sir. That's far enough. Access to this area is off limits. If you'd please…"

Burgh pulled a Pokéball from his belt. "Leavanny. If you'd please."

The guards hadn't even a breath to scream, "Halt!" before they were all wrapped up tight in a string shot.

Once the guards were taken care of, I dashed up towards the entrance of the ship.

"You go on ahead," Burgh said, waving me on, taking an apprehensive glance towards the outer ring of the city where a few more guards had caught sight of the commotion. "I'll hold off any reinforcements."

"Are you gonna be alright?" I asked, hesitating.

Burgh flashed me a smile as his Leavanny strode forward, poising the leaf-like blades that made its arms. "You underestimate us."

I cracked a smile, "Just… don't get killed," and dashed up the ramp and into the belly of the ship, and I didn't look back.

I ran through hallways made of iron and pipes. The air was stuffy and a bit salty on my tongue, but I didn't allow it to bother me. I was on a mission. I had to find that Victini. The only problem was that I didn't know where the Pokémon was being kept. Burgh and I surmised that it was on this ship somewhere, but where?

I spotted a door at the end of the hallway and ran to it. It was an odd looking thing, a large round rectangle with a big wheel for a doorknob. I grabbed onto the wheel and tried to turn it, but it wouldn't budge. I figured I was turning in the wrong direction, but it still didn't move when I pulled it the other way. Was it locked? Was it even possible to lock these kinds of doors?

I gave up on it, knowing full well that I couldn't afford to waste time with a single obstinate door. I would find another one. My heart beat painfully in my chest as I ran, both with exhaustion and fear. I felt worried that I would run into a crew member, or worse yet, a soldier of Team Plasma in these tight, iron walls. If that happened then I'd have to battle… and in an environment like this… it didn't look too favorable. And, even more, unnecessary battle with all the crew and soldiers here, whether armed or not, would only alert them to my presence and get me either captured or killed. I couldn't let anyone find or see me here.

As I ran, I saw no one on the ship. The hallways I ran through were empty and silent. There were no patrolling soldiers, no maintenance workers, not even any crew members. I reached higher floors of the vessel, but all doors I reached were bolted shut. Only my clanging footsteps accompanied me as I ran on. I didn't even see any ghosts.

Eventually, I did find a door that was open. It just happened to lead to the deck of the ship, and it was gaping wide above my head, just for me.

I had to sigh. I figured I would have ended up here eventually. All those locked doors, the mysterious absence of any and all crew members. It was all a little bit too convenient. I'd been herded. They'd been expecting us, and the open ladder to the deck was the final nail in the coffin for me. Had to wonder how many soldiers were waiting up there for me. Fifty? One Hundred? One Thousand? The whole blinking army?

I looked to the six Pokéballs strapped to my belt, and then back up to the open hatch which let in a pathetic light.

I guess there was only one way to find out.

I took in a deep breath and climbed the ladder to the deck of the ship. The sounds of all the mechanics and steam faded beneath me. Muted sunlight splashed against my face, cool wind chilled the body beneath my coat. The seas and the screens were softly singing. I faced the king of Team Plasma.

Christophe sat casually on a throne on the far side of the deck at the base of the ship's superstructure. I held back a grimace when I saw him, and my eyes adjusted to the new light. I was a bit surprised… Christophe was the only one up here. Not an army, not even a small group of soldiers… only one little king. However, that wasn't entirely true. Christophe wasn't completely on his lonesome, because… Anthea and Concordia were standing behind his throne.

I had to think my eyes were playing tricks on me, and a deep fear within me humored that I'd been pulled into another Dream Smoke illusion, and if that was the case, I'd rather throw myself from the ship and join the fishes right then. But I rubbed my eyes, bit the inside of my mouth to ascertain some reality, but they continued to stand there, as real as ever.

What on earth were they doing here? And why now? Why for… _him_!? I wanted answers. I really wanted answers, but the second I opened my mouth, and the second I looked to their faces… all questions fell. They weren't shocked to see me, weren't angry or sad. Not even a flicker of emotion crossed either of their eyes. They simply met my gaze without a sound and stood obediently on either side of Christophe's throne like statues made of flesh.

That's when I got it. Nothingness, in that moment, spoke louder to me than words ever would have. The caretakers to the King of Team Plasma. That's what they were, wasn't it? Even now. As long as there was still a king on that throne… they were obliged to serve him. It didn't matter what he looked like, or what he really was on the inside, even if he was just a fake… this was their job. Always had been. Nothing had changed… at least on the outside.

I pushed those emotions away; there would be a time for them later.

I walked out onto the empty deck, footsteps drowned out by the lull of the waves and the chugging in the distance. I could see one of the twin Dream Factories behind Christophe. There must have been one looming behind me as well.

"Well, hello. Good to see you've finally arrived," Christophe said, smiling with N's face, cheek resting casually on his palm. "It might surprise you to hear this, but I've been expecting your arrival."

"Yeah." I said, throwing off my fake glasses, "I had a hunch. I guess you were the one who thought that little maze up down there?" I asked, stomping a foot on the metal deck.

His grin only seemed to grow. "It pleases me that you've noticed," it sounded like he was trying to hold back a laugh. "I'm certainly glad that you went along with it, aside from, oh, you know, tearing down every road block you came to and filling the ship with gaping holes. That wouldn't have been very pleasant, you see."

"Yeah," I spat out a sigh, lip curling but not showing my teeth. "I'm not in the mood for a dip, right now."

"Oh, you," he said with an amused wave of his hand.

"Enough chatter, alright!" I snapped. "I didn't come here to shoot the breeze!"

"Peace," Christophe said, still wearing that annoying smirk, and raising his hands in mock defense. He stood up from his throne, reached around from behind it and pulled out the cylindrical cage of the Victini. "You're after this prize, no?" he jiggled it tauntingly on his fingers. The creature lay contorted and motionless within the jar.

My expression hardened. "That's right."

"Ahh," he tilted his head to the side, reaching up and brushing the bangs from his forehead. "Oh, how noble of you."

I bit my tongue. I wasn't going to fall for that taunt.

Christophe looked like he was expecting a reaction, yet sighed when he did not get one. He must have been expecting me to explode or something. "Can I ask you…" he began, all humor fading from his voice, and his eyes looked away, "where is N? Has he not joined this rescue mission of yours?"

Something twisted inside me. It must have been evident on my face, because Christophe cocked an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"It's none of your business—on both accounts…" I tried not to clench my teeth.

"Oh…" he said, looking almost depressed for a moment there. "Alright. I suppose you're right. It is a bit of a shame, however. I almost wanted him to be here to see this… he's going to miss all of the fun. Tragic."

I tried to ignore thinking about what he said, and what he meant when he said it. "I told you before that I'm not here to shoot the breeze. Hand the Victini over!" I tried to sound brave… noble, even.

"I cannot do that… though I suppose you already knew I'd say that," a smile played on his lips, but had none of the prior humor or amusement in it.

I drew a Pokéball from my belt, "Well, if it's a fight you want…"

Christophe placed the Victini's container at the base of his throne, so now it would have a front row seat for the battle that would decide its fate. It remained curled away from us. "You truly are of noble heart," but I couldn't tell if he was mocking me, or if he was serious. But I didn't care. "I'm a bit excited, if I can be honest with you," he said when I had not answered him. He walked down to the deck. "To do battle with the Champion who had defeated the first N. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

There was some bitter taste on my tongue. Champion…? I didn't like the way he said that. I didn't like being called… _Champion_. When I had defeated N at the top of the world… I really didn't feel like a champion…

"Pardon, but… can this battle be a three-on-three match?" the king said, smiling meekly. "You see, I've just started out with this Pokémon thing, and I've only got three on me."

I frowned, this sudden change of his cocky attitude pushed the bitter thoughts to the back of my mind.

He said just what? He just started? Was he telling me that he was a novice? Or… could it be possible he was just saying that to throw me off? I wasn't planning to go easy on him either way. "Yeah. Alright. Three on three. No items or substitutions."

He bowed his head curtly. "Agreed. Whoever wins this match shall receive the prize of the Victory Star."

Christophe drew out a capsule from under his robe, and I hardly had time to brace myself as he released his Volcarona, ancient god of the sun, wasn't it? Well, it certainly lived up to that reputation. It gave off a brightness like a star, which cut though the haze and the gray. A burning heat rose in the cool and damp air as the moth flapped its six, massive, banana-coloured wings, and its body was sparkling. Crystalline eyes met mine, glistening, and almost taunting. It screeched an inhuman sound which must have carried over all of the buildings in the city, and cut through the broadcast screen's drone.

This Volcarona was definitely different from the one I'd seen on the carven walls. This was no orange sun. It appeared Christophe had captured a rarity.

The king was smiling at my reaction, as he waited patiently for me to admire his grandiose monster.

I smirked. I had to admit I was impressed, not like I'd ever let him know. "Hana, let's go!" My Carracosta appeared on my side of the deck, unperturbed by the heated wind battering against us. Of course. Hana had faced more terrifying gods than this.

"Use Stone Edge!" Hana stomped on the deck of the ship, and a tremor rumbled down to the bottom of the sea. Rocks broke free from cracks in the depths, and they shot toward the surface, bulleting out of the waters with hardly a ripple and focusing on his Pokémon.

Christophe reacted with lightning reflexes, "Combat with Gust!" With a shriek, his Pokémon stretched its wings and blew a massive gale at the projectile stones. The stones were immediately blown off course by the powerful blast and ricocheted right back at us like they'd hit a wall.

I threw my arms over my face as the jagged stones plunged deep into the metal of the ship's deck, impaling themselves. I hesitantly lowered my arms. Hana or I hadn't been struck, that was a relief, but there were a few close calls around us.

Christophe's cocky smirk had resumed. _Try again_.

If stones weren't gonna do it, then I would douse his fiery moth. "Use Surf!" Hana spread out her flipper-like arms, and the ocean beneath the ship swelled, rose and soon spilt onto the deck in massive, sludgy waves.

"Use Fly, Volcarona!" Before the waves had a chance to engulf the moth, it beat its wings and elevated far out of reach from our attack, just in time too. The deck of the ship was soon covered in a thick layer of putrid water, even some of the rotted Pokémon corpses and heaps of garbage had washed aboard. Christophe stuck out his tongue as the water pooled around his boots. I tried to ignore both the smell and the sight as I tried to think up another plan.

I hatched an idea. "Hana! Use Aqua Jet!" Hana gathered the water that had already been washed aboard and used the pressure to propel herself up into the sky. Christophe's eyes widened in shock, but before he had time to announce a command, Hana struck his moth out of the sky and the two sides came crashing back on deck.

Hana landed with a heavy stomp before me, and the ship creaked and swayed slightly by the force of her impact. "Right on, Hana! Good job!" But the smile on my face evaporated when his Pokémon slowly pulled itself up, hissing deeply.

_No way…_

The Volcarona heated its body, sizzling away the putrid water it had been drenched with and slowly hovered back into the sky. Christophe backed a few steps away from his Pokémon, as if he was almost scared of it. At the time I couldn't blame him. That Aqua Jet had hit dead on and it was still mobile?! Sure, its movements were slow, pained, but it looked furious, eager to launch a counterattack. I knew I couldn't let that happen. Then an idea hit me.

"Hana! Use Stone Edge!" Using the stones that were already embedded into the deck, Hana attacked before the either Christophe or the Volcarona had fully recovered. The projectile stones tore its bright yellow wings into shreds, and the thing finally fell onto the deck with a sickening crash. It was out.

"Yes! Awesome, Hana!" I cheered and my Carracosta showed a pleased, half-hidden smile of her own.

Christophe, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. A dark look had spread over his features as he returned his fainted Pokémon away. "I see," he said. "You are just as strong as I thought you'd be. Actually, no, you're probably even stronger." He sighed and pulled out another capsule, "But I will not be beaten yet. Go! Scraggy!"

A scrawny little pants-lizard hopped out on Christophe's side of the deck. The thing showed a gruesome scowl which made me back away a few steps. Who knew a Pokémon so small could look so menacing?

Christophe wasn't as lenient this time, and called out an attack before I had a chance to think up a plan of action. "Use Focus Punch!"

I almost had to laugh. Was he really giving me such a big opening? His Scraggy hunkered down and tightened its muscles, building a power deep inside of its body, preparing itself to launch out a frightening attack.

I wasn't going to give him the pleasure, "Use Slam, Hana!" My Pokémon kicked forward and threw her bulk at Christophe's Pokémon. But something happened that I didn't expect.

His Scraggy leapt right over top of Hana, using the force of her attack to gain momentum and pull itself forward. It rolled just over her head, bouncing off the flat of her skull, and landed directly behind her. I just had time to call my Pokémon's name as Christophe's Scraggy shot its fist right on the center of Hana's shell, right where one of her deepest scars were. I heard a sickening crack as her shell split. She gave a weak, pained squeal and dropped to the ground with a deep thump.

Christophe's Scraggy leapt over my fainted Pokémon and joined his trainer on the other side of the deck. I noticed that Christophe's Pokémon seemed to glow for a moment, and I realized that its ability, Moxie, was taking effect and boosting its attack—which was not what I needed right now.

I stared at Hana's motionless form for a few moments of stunned silence. I brought up a shaky hand and returned her to her ball. I'd underestimated them. Christophe may have been a novice and lacked experience, but his Pokémon were strong and he wasn't stupid. He knew what he was doing and how to use an opponent's weakness to his advantage. I couldn't play around any longer.

"Hyle! Let's go!" My Emboar stomped forward on his stubby legs, roaring ferociously at our adversaries.

Christophe sneered. "Unfortunate," he threw his arm to the side in a vast sweep, "Scraggy, use Brick Break!" His Pokémon dashed in close and threw his fist onto Hyle's girth. My Emboar's belly hardly even jiggled against the force of the strike. Christophe's expression dropped.

"Use Brick Break, Hyle!" My Emboar raised his fist and slammed it unto the Scaggy's skull, knocking it out in one strike. His Pokémon stumbled back and fell fainted down on its back.

"You… cheater!" Christophe burst, pointing an accusing finger my way.

I frowned, "What are you talking about? How am I a cheater? I won that round fair and square… _you sore loser_…"

"Lies!" he insisted. "If you speak truth, then explain to me how my attack did so little damage and yours did so much!? They were both fighting moves!"

My frown deepened, _is he serious? _"It's because Scraggy is half dark type, and dark types are weak against fighting moves." Christophe might not have been as smart as I first thought.

He blinked for a couple seconds, "Oh…"

I could only stare at him. Did he not even know the basics?

Christophe frowned, cupping his chin with his hand, "So… your Emboar is a fighting type?"

"Yeah." I grumbled, "A fire and a fighting type, fighting is the secondary type." Might as well just give him that one. A freebee.

"I see." Christophe said, resuming his composure and sealing his Scraggy away. "Then it really is unfortunate. Let me assure you, I will be winning this next round. Go, Gothorita!"

My heart sank slightly as his black, ribboned Pokémon landed light as air on the deck. I remembered quite well what had happened the last time Hyle had fought against a Psychic type, but I wasn't going to let history repeat itself.

"Hyle! Use Take Down!" Hyle crouched down, concentrated his strength, and threw himself at our opponent.

"Use Double Team." Christophe ordered calmly. Now that he saw he had the advantage, his confidence had flared, and he'd grown cocky once more.

Hyle's attack missed as he took down three copy-Gothoritas in one strike, but the real one was still among the clones. Hyle watched the wall of copies surround him as he glowered, trying to pick out the real one. I didn't know where to tell him to attack. Which one was the real one? Gah, they all looked the bloody same!

I looked over to the other side of the field to see Christophe smirking smugly, and it pissed me off. I wanted nothing more than to wipe that cocky grin off his face. "Use Assurance, Hyle!"

Hyle's fist gleamed with dark energy and he swept it across the line of copy-Gothoritas. The real one was in his strike range, but it leapt out of the way with surprising grace and agility before the attack hit.

While it in the air, Christophe called out to it, "Gothorita! Use Psybeam!" His Pokémon spread out its arms, and began to charge a wave of energy inside of its palms, but our battle was interrupted before the attack could launch.

"STOP!" Everyone on the battlefield froze at the sound of the voice. Our ears couldn't believe it. I was even having a hard time trusting my eyes, but when I saw him, my heart shot straight to my throat. It was N. He was standing on the far right edge of the ship's deck, and he had the Victini's cage in his hands. He held it out for all to see.

Christophe froze, skin paled, eyes widened like he'd just seen the dead. A crooked sneer forced its way into his face, "_You_… How on earth did you snatch that cage?" Christophe hissed, teeth clenched, eyes darting back to where the cage no longer stood. Anthea and Concordia looked shocked to see the real N standing there, but did nothing more.

N pointed to Christophe, "Behind you."

Christophe blinked dumbly, and just as he was turning around, Laika appeared out of thin air and grabbed onto the regal rope he wore. She then pulled it right over his head and hopped away with a devious cackle.

Christophe struggled with the cape, but managed to tear it off his head furiously a moment later. Once freed, he scoured the deck for the Zoroark and quickly spotted her at the far left side of the deck.

Christophe pointed a finger, face flushed with anger, "You wicked—!" But his words dropped as he saw Laika spinning an odd key around on her finger. The king became even paler.

As I took a closer look at the key the Zoroark held, and measuring up Christophe's reaction, I figured it must have been the key to the Victini's cage.

Christophe gave a wordless growl of fury before shouting out, "Gothorita! Psybeam!" Christophe's Gothorita, who still had the previous Psybeam built up in her hands, launched the attack towards Laika with lightning force. Laika smirked wickedly as the attack evaporated against her body. It hadn't effected her. Christophe's jaw nearly hit the ground.

In the rage of his second failure, Christophe turned to Anthea, "Get the guards out here now. We can't let them get away with that Pokémon," he ordered her without even taking his eyes off the sight on deck. Anthea nodded silently and walked towards a communicator fused to the base of the superstructure and called for reinforcements. The deck was swamped with Plasma soldiers a moment later, all emerging from the superstructure or other pathways leading to the deck.

They surrounded N. When it looked like he was cornered, he suddenly shouted, "Terrance! Catch!" and he threw the Victini's cage near my end of the deck. I watched it fall and a small boy, who looked around nine or ten, caught the cage like it was a football.

A little girl, who resembled Terrance, ran up beside him, "Whoa! Are you okay!?"

He nodded, but cringed like he wasn't.

"Laika!" N shouted out as he began punching and shoving the guards aside, "Cover them!"

Laika leapt over to where the children were, and guarded them from the approaching soldiers. She passed them the key she'd stolen and the little girl tried to insert it into the keyhole. The Victini squirmed restlessly inside its cage, finally coming to life. Its body glowed with orange fire from inside the vile.

The little boy, Terrance I think I heard N call him, held onto the cage as the girl beside him, who looked a lot like his sister, struggled to pry the cage's door open. "Pull harder!" Terrance shouted.

"It's stuuuck!" The girl complained, pulling on the handle at the top of the cage. Laika snarled, prickling her mane as more guards approached. She built a force onto her arms and pushed the soldiers back with a Dark Pulse.

"Grab them, you idiots!" Christophe shouted. His order could never be carried out, for it was interrupted by a loud pop.

I hardly had time to see what happened, because it really was one of those, "You blink and you miss it" scenes. One minute the kids were struggling with the cage—POP—and suddenly a bright and immense flame rocketed out of the glass cage, bursting out like a firework. It shot up, and up and up, and wayyyy up into the sky, and then disappeared over the horizon like a falling star.

Nobody moved. Nobody said a word. We hardly even breathed. Just stared at where the Victini had disappeared. It was… gone…

Motion suddenly stirred again as N forced his way through the throng of guards, "Touko! Laika! Get off the ship! It's coming back around!"

I glanced at N in curiously then did a double take back to the horizon to see a burning speck racing over the ocean, tearing through the waters beneath. The Victini was coming back with a V-Create, and its target appeared to be this ship! I didn't need to be told what would happen when that much force connected with an object this big.

_Kablooey_, right?

I panicked for a second, not really knowing where to run or what to do, but my Emboar was on the ball. He wrapped his burly arm around my waist, and grabbed onto N as he joined us. I saw Laika pick up the kids and jumped off the side of the deck. Hyle followed suit and we leapt off just in time as the Victini struck.

I heard the Black Ship lurch with a sickening moan of twisting metal. The force of the strike rocked through the iron, causing the water below to splash sickeningly against the force. Hyle and Laika landed on the concrete of the dock, and we all looked back to see that colossal ship get torn apart.

"Touko! N! Are you alright? What's going on?!" I heard Burgh gasp as he and his Leavanny raced over. He appeared to be alright, though he was a bit scuffed up from the recent battles with the guards he must have been fending off.

Neither one of us really knew what to tell him. We just watched as a fireball of light plunged into the ship, ripping gaping holes in its sides and hull, torching the black iron into molten goop. After the fifth strike, the ship finally gave, tilting on a frightening angle, tipping into the stagnant sea. The unfortunate folk who were still on the ship's deck, those who couldn't escape, were thrown from the vessel and cast into the waters below. The same applied for the Second N.

* * *

><p>Christophe tried desperately to grab hold of something, a groove, a door, a handle of some sort, anything to halt his inevitable plunge into the polluted ocean. He was given no such luck. The ship tilted further and further, and though he tried to keep his footing, gravity prevailed and he slid down the width of the ship's deck towards the ever approaching ocean.<p>

Before the final drop, Christophe fell against the ledge of the deck, but he wouldn't stay there long at the rate the ship was tipping. He turned to his Gothorita which was keeping itself afloat with its psychic abilities. "Gothorita! Use Psychic!"

Gothorita turned to her trainer in worry, and quickly made to catch him with her power, but Christophe did something unforeseen. Instead of motioning to himself, Christophe pointed to Anthea and Concordia instead, who were frightfully clutching the far edge of the ship at this time. Gothorita looked confused at her master. Why was he asking her to save these two women instead of himself? Had she misread his signal?

Christophe saw her uncertainty and just managed to nod in confirmation before he was flung from the ship and he fell into the sea.

At that time, the ship had almost capsized and Anthea and Concordia were about to meet the same fate as their liege. Both women lost their grip and slid down the deck, a one way trip to the other side. Before they could fall off the edge and into the ocean, both women seemed to halt in mid-air, suspended by psychic energy. They shared a confused look before they caught sight of Christophe's Gothorita which struggled to hold them aloft. Suspending itself was trouble enough, and two passengers was borderline agony. But it was an order. Christophe had entrusted the lives of these women to Gothorita and she wouldn't let him, or them, down.

A crowd had gathered at the docks. Commotion had broken out at the very inception of Christophe and Touko's battle. A few curious onlookers turned to a thousand. Countless people from the city had withdrawn and left their homes, vying for a front row seat. They'd got a pay off worth coming for. The Black Ship which had been so gloriously introduced and displayed was now crumpled and burning in the ocean. The fires ate away at what had not yet sunk below water; steam shot from the vessel's corpse in even greater amounts than what the Dream Factories spewed. The ship's broken body bubbled the water, fires died down, and it retreated to the depths for a silent death.

The people watched the sight with awe and horror. What had done this? Terrorists? Pokémon? All of the above? Whatever it was, it snared their interest, made them afraid, and made them enthralled. The people were too caught up in the motion's bustle that not a soul noticed as Touko, N and Burgh disappeared into the streets of the city, away from the destruction they had caused.

Christophe's Gothorita managed to carry both herself and Anthea and Concordia to shore. Many of the unfortunate soldiers who had been bucked off the Black Ship scrambled onto the docks desperately, spitting and choking the vile water that had washed into their mouths. Despite the destruction that the Victini and the rebels had caused, there were no causalities among the ship's personnel. Even Christophe eventually pulled himself ashore.

Anthea and Concordia raced to the side of their king as he scrabbled onto the docks, heaving his drenched carcass ashore, "Are you alright, my lord?"

Christophe remained hunched over, teeth bared, fists clenched. He could only seethe for he could feel nothing but rage for the imposter king.

* * *

><p><strong>Author Note<strong>:

Being Christophe is suffering.

This chapter was also inspired by a song called **The Will of One** by a band called _The Protomen_.

I've also got a new poll up asking you which Legendary Dragon do you think goes better with N. Kyurem need not apply. And keep in mind that this isn't a purely aesthetic choice (though you can vote on pure aesthetics if you want). I've heard that people think Reshiram looks good with N, but I've heard others say that N was fighting for an 'ideal' world in BW1, thus on the side of Zekrom, and that blue lightning appears on his, and Team Plasma's, battle introses. But I think the former can be applied to Reshiram as well, because N was searching for the truths of the world on his journey too, but the lore of both dragons fits in with N no matter how you slice it, but I'd like to know what you guys think (and, just to mention, the results of this poll will in no way influence the story or the direction it will take, but I'm curious so, answer away)

Ta ra, loves.


	19. A Flawed Victory

Chapter 19

**A Flawed Victory**

**.**

**.**

We returned to Auston's house without a hitch after the scene had settled. We had Laika's illusion to cover us, of course, but another attributing factor to our safe trip back, I gathered, had to do with the scene we'd caused at the harbor. By the time we'd left it, it had already drawn a crowd, and I could only see it growing larger. The streets had been near empty as we ran through them.

The endgame certainly wasn't what I had expected it to be, at least. I realized that destruction may be a consequence of battling with Team Plasma—wasn't it always?—but I hadn't expected as much as sending the Black Ship to the bottom of the sea… while we weren't completely to blame for that. Even though the results of our mission turned out to be a few steps above what I would have expected, I still felt like we had really accomplished something out there. We had destroyed the Black Ship, beaten Christophe, and saved the captured Victini to wrap it all up. This felt like a day of victory to me, and as an added bonus, N, Burgh and I had left the scene relatively unharmed. Because of all of that… I couldn't help but smile and think to myself, _We had won…_

However, when Auston met us at the door, with eyes wider and wilder than I'd ever thought possible, I gathered he wasn't as ecstatic about this whole thing as we—or I—was. At least… not ecstatic in the same kind of way.

The first thing he did upon seeing us was to rush us inside as quick as he could and command us to the sofa. Terrance and Piper, who we'd brought with us of course, were caught up in the commotion, and since there wasn't any room left on the couch, they dealt with hiding behind it. Auston took a seat across from us. He didn't say anything. Didn't do anything. Just stared.

"Erm." I felt the need to break the silence, which was becoming more the worse by his intense and unblinking stare. I could read nothing from it, but had a pretty good idea what was going on in his head. "We're in trouble, aren't we?"

Auston puffed out a cloud of smoke. "Nah," he huffed. "But you really should be, though luckily fer yas, I don't have any authority over yas." Weary eyes fell downward, and he took a long drag on his smoke. He held the tobacco in his lungs as he spoke, "Honestly. I can't freaking believe it." He exhaled.

"What? You mean… about the little incident at the harbor…" I tried to say as gently as possible. He gave me a look for it.

"Little incident she says…" he mumbled, "I guess I'd say I'm impressed," and leant back. "So what was it? Blind luck? Blind stupid luck?" his eyes narrowed at Burgh, "and it musta been this goon who opted fer the plan in the first place, wasn't it now?"

Burgh scratched the back of his head, grinning, "Ah, well. I can't deny I had a say in the matter, eheh…"

"Yeah, but we would have intervened to save that Victini no matter what," I interjected. "We all agreed to the idea. It was all our plan."

Auston grumbled in thought, folding his hands and puffing even more smoke. I heard Terrance and Piper cough a few times behind us, and Auston's eyes widened, as if he hadn't noticed them standing there. His eyes softened for a moment, but he blinked this flash of uncharacteristic gentleness away. "Yo, Ben. Open a winder, would ya?"

"Okay." The blue-haired teen drifted in from the kitchen and pried open, with some difficulty, a nearby window which let in the sounds of the city night. A cool breeze wafted in and tickled my skin with a half delightful and irritating touch. I shuddered. The drone of broadcast screens and din of human voices was a whispering, and oddly calming, backdrop to our conversation.

"You see," Benjamin began, coming over and leaning on Auston's chair. "I do think that it was a good idea that you were able to rescue the Victini. However, beating Team Plasma in such an over the top and in-your-face fashion might be the greatest thing for us in the long run." He pushed his thick, black glasses up his nose anxiously.

"I shouldn't have to tell ya what it's like out there," Auston continued. "You've seen it all firsthand… how people in this region been taught to think, how everything's been changed. Team Plasma are pumping out this drivel day in and day out about how Pokémon are these horrible destructive beasts which threaten our perfect, sparkly, immaculate life, blabbity blah," he waved his hand unenthusiastically. "The broadcast screens, the Dream Smoke, it all adds up to the same end," his voice had fallen into a weary monotone.

"Thought manipulation isn't a pretty thing…" Benjamin turned his gaze to the window, as if worried someone was looking in.

"It's not easy to think otherwise when yer breathing it in every second of every day. It's easier to jus' lay back an nod yer head to what they say and drif' along with the current, ya know what I mean?" he exhaled more tobacco. "Most people don't fight back against what they're programmed to think."

"I understand." N said tightly. "What we had done today… invading the Black Ship after it had been displayed so proudly. Battling with the king… sinking the vessel… the whole city was watching. They saw everything… and now…"

I frowned. "We've only affirmed what Christophe and Ghetsis have been saying all this time… that Pokémon are beasts that can only destroy."

"Sums it up nice," Auston said with another drag. "And you can bet your ass that Team Plasma is gonna twist the facts as much as possible when their official statement comes out," he huffed, and mumbled, "as if you weren't villainized enough in the eyes of the nation, hrmph…"

"Then what were we supposed to do?" I almost snapped, "Unite the city in song, all hold hands and ask nicely for Team Plasma to dock those ships and kindly let the Victini go!?"

"Well…" he hissed out a breath of smoke, "There's the chance they all woulda died laughing had you done that."

I ignored him, "If we hadn't done what we did then Team Plasma would have killed—"

"I get it," Auston said forcefully, but not harshly. He smiled at us, "I don't think you guys done wrong at all. Actually, I'm not too ashamed to say that I think what the three of you did today… was pretty damn brilliant."

I blinked. "Come again?"

"Ya know, as far as I'm concerned, it don't matter how you got it done, or what you had to do to get it done, all that matters is that we won today. Y'all didn't kill anyone. You saved that Pokémon, an' right now, it don't matter how the mass majority see it, because one day they're going to see what happened today, what all you did…" he looked up at his with a heartbreakingly warm smile, "that's what I'd call a victory."

I found I could say no more. Seeing that smile, and thinking back of the events of today… I felt a strange rush of pride. A victory… eh…

"Hey…" I began, suddenly remembering, "speaking of victories…" I turned to N, "where did that Victini get off to?"

"I'm unsure," he answered. "I lost sight of it after it had destroyed the Black Ship. I certainly hope that it was able to get far away from this city… somewhere where it can be safe."

"Yeah. I guess that'd be for the best. We don't want to end up having to rescue it again," Though if it could take down an iron battleship, I figured it would be fine. "Oh, but… what about…" I peeked over the back of the couch to see the children standing there, and they looked at me like I was some kind of monster. I smiled at them gently, trying to show them that I meant them no harm. I looked back at N, and said lowly "Who are these two?"

"Umm," N shrugged and made a face that showed me he couldn't give an explanation with the children around.

Benjamin smiled at got the ball rolling for us. He walked over to the children and peeked around behind the couch. "Hello down there," he said gently. "I may not be an expert, but it looks to me like the two of you are awfully hungry. How about we head to the kitchen and I can make you anything you'd like!"

The children withdrew a little at the sound of a meal, which was unsurprising since it looked like they hadn't eaten well in months. "A-anything? You-you're not messin' with us, are you?" Terrance asked, as if the offer was too good to be true.

Benjamin held the smile and nodded, "Cross my heart and hope to fry!"

That got the both of them to smile, so they took Benjamin's hand and he led them off to the kitchen. I watched them go, and turned back to N once they had disappeared down the hall. He looked down thoughtfully, hands on his knees.

"So," Auston began, taking yet another puff of his fag. "Who'd you steal the kids from?"

N started.

Auston sighed, "Was a joke."

"…oh…," N looked down, as if he didn't know where to begin. "They were… um… I… found them in an alleyway… far off from the more populated areas… and they were…" he paused. "I mean, they looked so thin so I thought I should give them some of my sandwiches… because I wasn't going to eat them anyway because I don't like meat…"

"And the point is…?" Auston huffed.

N looked surprised for a moment, as if he didn't even know he'd been rambling. He composed himself quickly, "I asked them if they had any family, and they informed me that their mother and father had gone missing, and the circumstances revolving around their disappearance ties heavily together with the rebel group which had tried to save the Victini Team Plasma had captured."

"Whoa, wait!" I gasped, "How can you be sure?"

"They told me themselves," he informed. "Although, I can't be one hundred percent sure, since those children don't even know themselves that their parents have most likely been killed…" N dropped his voice ever so slightly.

I looked to Auston. "Say, if these people really were the rebels that freed the Victini, and they lived in Castelia City, wouldn't you know something about it?"

Auston's brow furrowed. "Well, I couldn't really tell ya. What I can tell ya is that there're quite a few clusters of…" he paused as if thinking of a word. He settled upon, "clusters of rebels in this city… all over the region too. Problem is, 'specially with Team Plasma in absolute control of mainstream media and communications… we all… well…"

"Don't have a very good network of communications formed?" Burgh guessed.

"We play it by ear," Auston said tugging on the lobe of his own. "Castelia's a bit of a different matter, because if there're any rebels here there's a good chance we'll find out or know about them through some forms o' communication. This place is like a hive. There're lot of places you can find where all types of people can come together an' form connections… but you always gotta stay on yer guard, because ya never really know who could be watchin," he kept his eyes on the ground.

"I've heard word of other groups of people in this city sharing the same kind of goals that we do—that is being against Team Plasma for whatever reasons," he continued. "Most are people who will work in places near and around Team Plasma's points of operation, like the Dream Factories, because if you didn't know, they don't hire civilians. These people are kinda like moles and will spread around whatever information they can find about Team Plasma… for the right price, o course," he took another drag.

"There are others that are more vocal," he held the fag to his lips and spoke around it, "there was a group I was aware of that took matters above and beyond. They weren't content with jus' sitting around and spreadin' gossip. They wanted results and, for them, action was the only way to get a reaction."

"What did they do?" I wondered aloud.

Auston shook his head, "I didn't know them too well, but I had heard they were much more vocal in their… uh… distaste of the Plasma regime," he chuckled darkly at his own wording. "Protests, campaigns, media blackouts, all with varying levels of success… they'd even go as far as to free Pokémon Plasma had captured or were using for their own gain," he paused, "also with varying levels of success."

A short silence lingered.

"If something falls in the way of the current… like a log… or a bunch of rocks… the flow stops…" he doused his cig, "So what do ya do? Get rid of the blockage, of course."

I looked away.

He propped his elbows on his knees and locked his fingers. "I didn't have the strongest connections with those kind of people… but there was a certain family that I had a decent communication with. I didn't know much about them, because anonymity is a blessing, but I haven't heard word from them in a few months at least…" he kept his gaze on the far wall, gnawing on his lip. "I can't say anything for sure, but if those kids say what you said they said… then…" he shrugged. "I can't see why it wouldn' be true…"

I felt a sudden sickness, and I'm sure the others were feeling the same, because no one spoke again.

When I'd first heard of the fallen rebels… I never really considered that people like that would have lives and families of their own… and if they were gone what kind of effect that would have on all they had left behind. Terrance and Piper were a product of that, a product that should never have existed in the first place. I had to wonder how much they'd seen in this industrious hive, within those darkened streets.

"I was wondering…" N broke the silence, and it started me from my reverie. I turned to find him staring into my eyes with an air of desperation. "I was wondering if they could come with us."

I could only blink at him.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Burgh spoke up before I could dream of thinking up an answer. "Dragging those children into a resistance organization and having them running around the base could only put their lives in danger." N frowned and looked down at his feet disappointedly. "Could you take them in possibly?" Burgh asked Auston.

He blinked in surprise, "Who? Me?" Auston glanced behind him as if he wished for someone to be standing there. "You gatta be kiddin' me." He paused to cough softly, waving the smoke away from his face in the process. "Really, Burgh. You should know that I can't stand kids," he huffed, "and this is hardly the place to be bringin' up rugrats." A strange look came upon Auston's face, "This house an' I are far too old for that kind of thing…"

And I figured that all the tobacco in the air was liable to kill the both of them by the end of the year, at best.

Burgh sighed as he noticed N looking slightly more hopeful. "Why the sudden want to bring the two of them with us anyway? Even if their parents really have gone, they probably have other family and relatives in the city. We can't just take them away from all that…"

"I wasn't planning to…!" N began, probably a bit louder then he meant. "I mean… I fully intended to ask them what course of action they would like to take from now on. But I thought that… I would like to offer them to come with us… back to the base…"

"Again, why?" Burgh repeated.

N looked down at his feet, "Because… because I thought they would be lonely… if they were left in this place…"

A silence lingered.

"It wouldn't be too bad… if we just asked them about it, right?" I broached, more to Burgh than to anything, my shoulders rising in a shrug. "Besides… if they were the children of some rebel organization, even if they weren't involved with them, Team Plasma might be out looking for them…"

"Yes!" N said suddenly, looking right at me. "I remember them telling me something of that nature. I believe soldiers had come to their home, most probably searching for them, and that is why they had run away into the streets…"

I turned back to Burgh, "Well, if that's the case, then we have to bring them with us. There's nowhere left that's safe in this region, Burgh. At least if they came with us… then at least they wouldn't have to live on the streets anymore. At least they would be alright…"

Burgh pinched the bridge of his nose, "Alright. I'll cave." Before N or I could get to jumping for joy or anything, he spoke again, "But ask them first. We'll ask those children what they would like to do, and no matter what it is, we will respect their wishes. That is only fair."

"Right then," Auston spoke up, "now that that's sorted, you lot better get packed up 'cuz you'll be leavin' tonight."

"Whoa, tonight!?" had I misheard him? "Why the rush?"

Auston pulled another cigarette out of the pack in his shirt pocket, "After the commotion you all caused today, there'll be bloody soldiers crawling all over the city, turnin the place upside down, leavin no stone unturned in search, ya know?" he padded himself down in search of a lighter, but couldn't seem to find one. After muttering a curse, "You all need to get out of here before they put the city into lock down. While commotion and confusion are still fresh from that little scene you pulled at the harbor, y'all gotta git."

"Lock the city down?" I echoed, "They can do that?"

Burgh cupped his chin. "I guess if they think we're still inside of the city, they'll double, possibly quadruple, all guarding forces on all exits and entrances to the city. They may not even let people in or out of Castelia if they think we're still in here somewhere, and even the sewers will be patrolled. I know you have Laika, N, and I know her illusion is handy at covering our tracks but…"

"I understand," N said, "I am aware of the lengths that Team Plasma is willing to go to see us captured, especially after what has happened today."

"So… I guess we have to leave before they have a chance to do that…" I murmured.

Auston paused to cough into his sleeve, "You've all bought yerselves a window of time by sinking that Black Ship. It's best to get out of here while ya can, because by tonight… nothing dead or alive is going to be leaving this city."

Auston had a pretty good point there. None of us argued with his logic, and we prepped ourselves to go. After all the commotion today, all I wanted to go was go home to the base and have the longest sleep of my life.

We hadn't brought a lot with us, so there wasn't much packing up to do. However, we still had the orphans to take care of. Benjamin had filled their stomachs in the short time we'd been there, so next came the hard part: breaking the bad news.

* * *

><p>"What did you want to talk to us about?" Terrance seemed to be playing the role of the tough guy. He was looking right into our eyes and not backing down an inch. It surprised me; he seemed strong for his age. Then again, I guess he had to be.<p>

"Well…" I began. I then paused. Where could I begin?

"Um…" N stepped forward, trying to smile. "I was wondering if the two of you would like to come and live with me and Touko from now on."

Piper blinked up at us. "Come live with you guys? Uhh, but why?"

"What about our mom and dad?" Terrance asked, green eyes deadly serious.

N's smile vanished. "They…" he looked away.

Terrance sighed, and looked down. "…They're… not coming back… are they?"

All of us blinked in shock, even Piper. "What are you talking about, Terrance?" she asked, "Of course they'll be back… they… have to come… back…" tears spilt from her eyes.

Terrance's face was hard as he stared at his feet, fists clenched, lip trembling. He'd known. Just by looking at him I could tell that somewhere in the back of his mind… he already knew that his parents were gone for good. And Piper, although she cried so sadly, knew it too. Her tears weren't tears of loss, but of realization.

The two of us didn't really know what to do at first. I certainly wasn't sure how I should try and comfort them. I didn't even know anything about them. What soothing words could I possibly offer? My tongue was only knotted in response.

But just as I was thinking this, N did something that spoke louder than any words could. He knelt down and opened his arms to them. I was as surprised as Terrance and Piper were by this action. They were hesitant at first, and didn't immediately retreat into N's gesture. However… I saw the look in their eyes. I saw how frail they looked, and how thin, and how dirty. I could never have guessed how long it was, but after all the time they'd lived in those streets for… someone was again offering their warmth and their kindness to them.

They ran into N's arms and wept.

"I'm sorry." N said after a time. "I wish that there was some way that I could have helped your mother and father. If only I had known of their actions sooner, I could have prevented Team Plasma from their attack. I did not know them, but their exploits lead me to believe that they were kind people." He pulled away and smiled, "I think they would have been proud of you. Today the both of you worked together to save the Victini, and it is most certainly grateful for that."

Terrance and Piper looked shocked beyond words.

I smiled down at them and leant on N's shoulder. "How would the two of you feel about coming to live with us from now on?"

N's cheeks suddenly flushed, "Or… well… if you don't want to come with us, Touko and I can take you anywhere that you'd like to go. Perhaps you still have remaining relatives in this city, or somewhere else in the region…" he faded.

I smiled beside him. "An Aunty? Uncle? Grandmama? Just name the place and consider it done."

Terrance and Piper shared a look, and the little girl rubbed the tears from her eyes.

Terrance looked to us determinedly. "We… uhm, don't actually have any other family in the city."

"We have an Aunty in the north!" Piper offered with a surprisingly chipper smile.

"How north?" I asked. Transporting these kids to anywhere wouldn't really be a walk in the park. Getting into Castelia had been trouble enough and I wasn't looking forward to any future sewer crawling, though regardless of that, like I promised, I was willing to take this children to wherever they wanted to go.

"Lacunosa… I think," Terrance said, rocking his foot. "But I… uh. But I don't want to live with her. I want… I want to come with you guys!" he blurt, eyes flashing toward us.

I raised my eyebrows. I certainly wasn't expecting such a resolute response from a kid this young, and so soon.

He looked aside, perhaps seeing the flicker of doubt in my eyes, "I don't know a lot. I don't know too much about Pokémon either. I don't… know if they really are monsters who destroy things, or if maybe they can be friends just like my mom was always saying. Um…" his cheeks colored, "But, you know. When we saved that red mouse today… and got it out of the cage… it seemed really happy." Terrance stared right at us again, "So I want to come with you guys so I can find out for myself if Pokémon really are bad guys or not. I believe in what my mom told me… so I want to do this for her!"

I smiled, "Sounds like you've got guts, kid."

His cheeks became even redder, "Yeah, well." He cleared his throat and turned to his sister. "But you can't come, Piper."

She gawped, "Huh!? But why not!?"

"It's too dangerous!" he insisted, "You saw what happened today! All those explosions and fighting guys and fires, and all sorts of other crazy things! It's too dangerous for you to be around that kind of thing again! I'll go with them, and you can go to Lacunosa Town to live with Aunt Lucy."

Piper began to tear up again, "But I don't want to go live with her! I want to stay with you, Terrance, because that's what we always do—we always stick together!"

"I said you gotta go!" he protested.

"But I want to come with you!" she fought back.

My smile turned. Uh oh… I guess… this is what having kids was going to be like. I turned to N, and he turned to me, and we both shared a look of desperation.

"Um… well, uhh," N began, having no idea how to handle this situation.

"ZIP IT, BRATS!" I boomed with a stamp of my foot, and everyone fell silent and blinked at me, even N. I broke my own tension with a sigh."Alright. No more fighting, got it? Both of you can come with us. No one is getting left behind."

"But…" Terrance began again, "she's just a little girl!"

I smiled, "Yeah. And that's why you have to take care of her. Got it?"

Terrance looked shocked by what I said, as if suddenly realizing the responsibility he had in place of his parents.

"You can do that, or, would that be too much for you?"

"Of-of course not!" he bleated.

"Well, that settles it then!" I finished.

"Yay!" Piper declared, throwing her hands up. "We don't gotta live in the smelly city anymore!"

I couldn't help but smile. "Speaking of smelly… you two could use a bath."

* * *

><p>"Thank you for taking care of us while we were here," Burgh said as we exited Auston's house out into the night.<p>

"No prob," he said, leaning on the doorframe with another smoke in his hand. "Take care of yerself, Burgh. Same goes for you two!" Auston said, gesturing with a flick of his wrist, "And you take good care of those youngins… got it?"

"We sure will. Thank you so much," I said, giving a small polite bow. N did the same, but didn't descend as low as I did. Piper hung onto my hand, looking around half curiously and half warily. Terrance was much the same but had a bit of a challenging air to him, like he wasn't as afraid of the night as his sister appeared to be.

We set off.

Burgh led the way through the darkened alleyways, relying on memory or his 'insect-like intuition' _end quote_—whatever that meant—to get us back to one of the sewer entrances. Speaking of smelly alright. With a deep breath, we once again plunged into that subterranean world, but luckily without any resistance.

The sewers at night weren't much different from how they looked during the day. Ghostly balls of light contained behind rusted grilles spotted the ceilings, shining their dim and yellowed light onto the black, vile waters. The steady gurgle from the canals was our only company as we made our way out. Perfect atmosphere, I know. It was hard not to feel anxious and on edge, especially in this darkness. But I tried to be brave, and tried not to dwell on thoughts of monsters hiding in the shadows.

There were a few, "This place smells," which quickly turned to, "This place is scary… I don't like it…" comments from Terrance and Piper, and all I could really say to them was, "We'll be out soon. Just be patient." We didn't talk much aside from that. And only once or twice did I catch glimpses of movement in the dark.

The moonlight was a blessing. Whether it seemed like years or mere minutes, we eventually found the exit that we'd used to enter the city earlier that morning. The tunnel was pitch black save for the small white opening that beckoned us with the echoed whispers of the sea. We left from it into another darkened world.

"Big sis Touko!" Piper asked once we'd passed through the exit and crawled onto the sandy ground of Route Four. "Where is it that we are going again?" she asked, clearly enunciating every word in a cute, childish way.

I could barely manage a sigh before Terrance said, "Don't be stupid, Piper! She's already told you, like, fifty times already!"

"No she didn't! You're the stupid head, Terrance! You don't even know!" she retorted, reaching down and grabbing a fist full of sand to whip at her brother. I managed to stop her before she had the chance.

"Alright! No more fighting! We're heading back to the base!" I said slowly, grabbing onto both of their arms to prevent another slapping fight. "In other words, you could just call it your new home. Are you alright with that?"

They glared at each other for a minute, as if all was not totally forgiven, but then they both sighed in acceptance.

"Now that that's sorted, let's get walking," Burgh said as he headed off into the moonlit desert.

Piper and Terrance ended up persuading us, so to say, to carry them all the way there. Well… their eyes really shined in the moonlight, so it was kind of hard to say no to those adorable little faces. Even N had succumbed to their trickery as he carried Terrance on his back, though his face was impassive, so I guess he didn't mind.

As we walked, I turned to give Castelia a final parting glance. It looked beautiful in the night. Like a monster, just as black as the sky, it climbed upward like a tree of iron from its roots on the ground. No matter how high it rose, it could never reach the stars. The moon, as if almost saddened by this, allowed its light to fall upon the city, and defined the ghastly spires and skyscrapers in strokes of white. But the city was brighter than the sky. In the night, when the sun was not around to outshine it, the city came alive with lights. They sparkled and they shone such bright, myriad colors… they put the stars to shame. From the distance we could hear it singing. All the screens, the factories, the machines, and the people seemed to be singing us—as I imagined—a farewell. Or was it a dirge? The song followed us as we wenr further and further away… and it got quieter… and eventually faded to silence.

That tranquility of night did not last long after our departure.

"Hey! Hey! Look at that! There's somethin' in the sky over there!"

I turned to see Terrance perched precariously on N's shoulders, using his head as a stand for his foot.

"Shut up, Terrance," Piper grumbled from my arms. "You're too loud, dummy."

"Wait. I see it too!" Burgh declared, pointing towards the sky. I followed their claims, scouring the pitch black above for what they saw. It took me a minute to notice it, but I came to see a burning red speck in the sky. I would have shrugged it off to be a star if not for the violent red color and the startling fact that it was heading straight for us!

Burgh told everyone to get down as the flickering star turned into a smoldering fireball. All of us made for cover, which there was no lack of in this rocky terrain. Terrance leapt off of N's head and scrambled to my side. N, however, didn't move or run away.

"N!?" my words were drowned by the blazing of heat. It was about to hit!

Instead of the explosion I had expected, the fireball suddenly dissipated with a shrill hiss, and out from it came a Victini. The first thing it did was to fling itself onto N's face.

"WHOA!" Terrance gasped, "Did you see that!?" he turned to me in shock, but I could only blink at him with equally measured surprise. Without waiting for a response, he bounded over to where N was trying to remove the grateful Victini from his face.

"Hey!" Piper gasped, scrambling out of my grip and joining her brother, "That's the Pokémon that we saved today!"

The Victini perked up its ears in shock as it noticed the children, and then it too greeted them by tackling into their heads and giving their faces a hug.

"Mmf!" Terrance muffled as he tried to pry the Pokémon off. The Pokémon laughed joyously at his failed attempts, as it seemed to have a pretty iron grip.

"The Victini?" Burgh asked, walking over from behind a small pile of rocks, "What on earth is that thing doing here?"

All of us stared at the Victini and the kids as the Pokémon darted just above their reach, chirping gleefully.

"It's saying that it wants to come with you." N said, which caught all our attention.

"Wait!" Piper gasped as the Victini landed on her head. "How do you know that, N!?"

He knelt down so he could be on closer eyelevel with the lot of them. "I can hear the voices of Pokémon. And this Victini is saying that he's grateful to you for setting him free, and he wants to come with the both of you." N reached up and gave the Pokémon a light scratch on the head; a small smile appeared on his face as he did so.

"You mean… you can understand what Pokémon are saying and stuff?" Terrance gawped. N simply nodded in response, looking a bit surprised by Terrance's shock. He looked to me, "You can do that too? Can… everyone do that?"

"N is the only one who can hear their real voices as if they were talking just like you and me," I smirked, then whispered loudly, "_self proclaimed_."

"Perhaps…" N mused. _Was he agreeing with me?_

"What! Really? How? No way you can do that!" he turned from N to me again, "he's totally lying!

"I believe you!" Piper burst. "I believe you, N! I think that's the coolest talent ever!"

N turned to me in question, "It's cool?"

"Uhh." I wasn't sure how to answer that at first. "Yeah. It's a… uh, pretty unique talent."

"I still think he's lying!"

"Hm. I never thought of it like that before." He cocked his head to the side in thought, "I've been able to hear their voices for as long as I can remember. It came so naturally to me that I don't even think of it as a skill. It's as simple as breathing for me. I'm honestly quite surprised that other people can't hear their voices," N almost went on a tangent before Piper came over to him and held the Victini in her hands.

"So… that means he's our Pokémon now?" she asked him sheepishly.

"He wishes to stay with you," N responded.

Piper looked down at the Victini with a smile and it chirped happily in her grip.

"Wait!" Terrance said, flocking to his sister's side. "If he's ours now that means we gotta name him!"

I braced myself for an impending sibling squabble, but…

Piper handed her brother the Pokémon, "You can name him."

Terrance held out his hands and the Victini jumped into his palms, grinning playfully. Terrance glanced to his sister once more, "Really? You're sure?"

She nodded, modest smile on her face, "Go ahead."

"Okay. Um… how about… um… maybe… um… no, that's stupid…" he stared at the waiting Pokémon in serious concentration.

"Need any help?" I ventured with a smirk. He really just looked too funny with such a serious look on his face.

"No!" he said immediately, keeping his eyes locked with the Victini, who just blinked at him curiously. "I got this! …Um…"

"Any ideas at all?" I broached again.

"Don't rush me, I've never really named anything before!" Terrance said, looking at me like he was upset. "But names have to be special, don't they? Every name has to mean something… because that's the name that you have forever…" Terrance's look suddenly softened, and turned slightly sad. "I think… I know what I want to call you now, if that's okay with you, red mouse?"

The Victini chirped happily, ears twitching in anticipation.

"Can I… call you Alphonse?"

The Victini squeaked happily and flapped his arms up and down.

"He likes that name." N told them.

"Alphonse…" I mused, "has a nice ring to it." I looked to Terrance, "Where did you think of that name from?"

He shook his head, "I just… knew somebody with a name like that." In the moonlight, his eyes appeared to glisten, but he looked away before I could truly see.

"Well," Burgh said with a smile, "now that that's all sorted, how about we head back?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Piper agreed. "Al and I are sleepy!"

And with that, we returned back home.

.

(_Monsters in the Mirror_)

.

Christophe dragged himself from the washroom after his third bath of the night. He was dripping, and soggy, and regretfully… he still stank. Even after scrubbing and washing every last inch of his body, places he hadn't even known existed, he still had not been able to get rid of the odor which so persistently stuck to him. _One more bath should do it!_ His previous optimism had been quashed. Now the king of Team Plasma was left smelling vile and flowery, like a garbage can hung with air freshener. How… fitting.

Christophe brought up a hand to wipe the damp bangs from his forehead, during which he froze. A disgusted look crossed his face as he picked a clump of wet paper from his hair. He shook it from his finger frantically and it clung in lasting desperation before it was tossed. "_Bleh_!"

He had lost count of all the revolting things he had pulled from his body that night.

At the far side of the room a polished wooden dresser was situated. The king dragged himself to it, flopped down on the chair, and met eyes with his worn self in the mirror.

_Oh well, _he sighed internally, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers. _I guess it always could have been worse_.He clicked his tongue a few times, tasting the faint flavor of garbage. It was only a lingering feeling now, but after brushing his teeth about ten times, he was surprised that it hadn't gone away. _I could use a stick of gum. _Christophe threw N's face into his hands. _If I don't catch deathly ill by morning, then I must have the luck of the gods. _He heaved a sigh, _Mints would be good too._

Christophe lay curled in his chair, and remained dripping in a bathrobe for a long while. Before he had dripped completely dry, the door opened. He slowly withdrew from his palms to see Anthea walking over. She set a glass of water on the table before him then placed a small tray of scotch mints beside it.

Christophe's eyes brightened.

"Concordia figured the mints would do you well," she said emotionlessly. Anthea turned to her king to measure his reaction, but was taken aback when she saw him tearing up.

"Th-thank you," he said in complete gratitude.

Anthea was frankly surprised by this display of affection, "It's… uh, no problem, my lord."

Christophe grabbed the glass of water and knocked it back. He then tossed two mints in his mouth. They overpowered the taste of trash, to the king's utter joy.

"Yer' the greates, 'eally." Christophe mumbled. He looked down and rolled the mints into the pouch of his cheek, trying to sound more coherent. "N must have been really lucky to have you and Concordia around."

After a silence, Anthea responded with a question. "Are you feeling any better?"

He grunted, looked at himself in the mirror, and flicked a few stray bangs off his face. "I've definitely been better, but I'm sure I'm over the worst of it now. As long as I don't catch sick…" he turned to her with a weak smile, "then a bruised ego is all I have to contend with," a weak laugh followed, "at least for now…"

Anthea tried to suppress a frown.

The reveal of the Black Ship had gone better than expected, but when Touko and N had made their appearance… it had all fallen to ruin. Christophe had been put in charge of the reveal and command of the first Black Ship and the captured Victini by Ghetsis himself. The sage was bound not to be pleased and there was doubtless some form of punishment awaiting his return. Such thoughts upset the Goddess of Love, and she was quick to banish them. Feelings were only a distraction, especially for a person like… him.

As she looked at him now, he seemed calm on the outside. The Goddess of Love could not be sure if he remained so on the inside as well. She could never read anything from him, from his words, or from the way he moved.

Anthea didn't know very much about Christophe. He didn't often talk about his origins and usually kept to himself. But when the three of them were together, Christophe would constantly ask questions about N. _How long have you known him for? What kind of things did he enjoy? What were his relations like with Touko?_ Both Anthea and Concordia would answer him as best they could, since they figured he needed to fill the part, and as such, needed to know as much information as possible about the first king. But it was more than that, and Anthea had come to realize it. It was much more than simply knowing his role; Christophe had seemed to develop a fascination with his predecessor. An admiration. A love. An obsession. Perhaps a hatred.

"If everything is in order, then I shall take my leave," she said, turning to leave the king to his own devices. Only when she reached the door did she pause to turn around. Christophe had his eyes downcast, as if he was analyzing the patterns of the carpeting. His hair fell over his face again and hid his eyes. "My king…" she began. "I… I am curious to know why you saved Concordia and I when the ship was sinking, when you would have done better to save yourself."

He looked up at her with a weak smile. "That's weird…"

She blinked in confusion. "H-how so?"

He shook his head. "I couldn't have put my well being above either yours or Concordia's. I was more likely to survive the fall than you two were… or, well, at least I knew it wouldn't have been a very pleasant experience for the both of you to fall into that filthy ocean."

"I never knew you were so selfless," she said after a pause.

Christophe smiled crookedly, "You sound like you're mocking me."

Anthea stared at the king, not losing composure for even a second. She felt like he still had more to say but he didn't continue. Anthea was about to open the door and leave when the king spoke again.

"I think…" she turned to look at him, but his eyes were on the floor again. "I think N really would have hated me if I let the two of you fall instead…"

Anthea watched the king silently for a moment, "Then thank you, my king."

Christophe forced a smile and let out a weak laugh, "You can just call me Christophe if you want to, when nobody else is around… that is. Being called 'king' just sounds kind of weird to me…"

"Yes. Then…Christophe, thank you," Anthea was surprised to find herself smiling. "If there is anything else that you need, then don't hesitate to alert Concordia or myself."

"Yeah. Thanks… I'll do that," The king responded, starting to chew what was left of his mints, and Anthea left his room, leaving him to his lonesome.

Christophe stared at the door Anthea had left from for moments of silence.

The king heaved a sigh and reached over to the dresser, where a container of three Pokéballs lay. He plucked the capsules from their chest and released his Volcarona, Scraggy and Gothorita. Upon being released, his trinity of Pokémon looked down in shame.

Christophe smiled at them weakly, "I'm sorry." The eyes of his Pokémon shot up in question. "The battle today was a complete and utter failure, wasn't it?" The looks of guilt resumed on all of their faces.

"It's my fault. The three of you are very powerful Pokémon, there's no reason that we should have lost." He shrugged, "I can imagine that the only reason why we did was because of my incompetence. I have no idea how to handle the powers you possess." Christophe's voice had grown hard and pained, "Even now… I'm such a disgr—" the king fell silent when his Gothorita wrapped her hands around one of his own.

Christophe was stunned. "Eh?" he looked up to his Pokémon to see they didn't look defeated or depressed; on the contrary, they looked full of life. They looked resilient, undefeated. They looked at the king with eyes that spoke, "_We won't give up_!"

Christophe leaned forward in interest, "You mean… to tell me that you still wish to fight by my side?" His Scraggy hooted, stomping at the ground defiantly. His Volcarona flared its wings with confident shriek, and his Gothorita offered an encouraging smile and squeezed his hand. The mood was infectious, and Christophe couldn't help but grin. "I understand. Let's get stronger then. I will help you… and you can help me. Since, if we don't help each other get stronger… then nothing will ever change…"

His Pokémon agreed with understanding smiles.

The light-heartedness of the moment was suddenly broken. The king had caught a glimpse of something in the mirror before him, out of the corner of his eye. He thought it to just be a trick of the light, his eyes simply seeing things that weren't there, or a dash of color that did not belong with its surroundings. Christophe's head turned automatically.

The face that looked back at him through that mirror didn't belong to N. Distant blue eyes from the past met his, and he screamed in terror.


	20. Our Fortress

We were welcomed back with open arms when we returned to the base at three in the morning. At least at first.

"Touko!" Bianca said joyously. "I'm so glad the three of you made it back okay!"

"Hey there kids, and Burgh," Juniper said, smile as bright as ever. "Good to see you made it back in… one… piece…" and that's when she saw the kids. The real kids.

Terrance and Piper hid behind N and I, using our legs as some kind of infallible cover, as they stared up at Juniper and Bianca like they were monsters. Juniper was, uh, a bit taken aback when she saw them, and by how filthy and skinny they were. She didn't say anything for a few minutes.

I swallowed and tucked my hair awkwardly behind my ear. "Uh… we're home!" Alphonse popped up from behind my head and frankly scared Juniper and Bianca right out of their skins.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it! I honestly can't believe it!" This sounded a bit familiar, though Juniper hadn't been as ecstatic as Auston had been about our little… sinking a warship operation, at least not in the same kind of way. "What on earth were you thinking!?"<p>

N, Burgh and I—the valiant Castelia City defense force—were now sitting in a row of three before a fuming professor. The only positive of this was that Terrance and Piper weren't around to see how undignified we'd become. Bless her soul, Bianca had taken care of the children during our interrogation. Benjamin had fed them before we left, so all she would have to do was give them a wash and tuck them into bed. That was one less thing we had to worry about. At least they were doing better than we were.

We, on the other hand, were only able to sit there and receive this punishment. Well, what else could we do? So we remained looking guiltily down at our feet, with hands folded or fidgeting in our laps. Even Burgh, the one person I thought would be in a place to stand up to the professor, was the same. Then again, I couldn't blame him. When Professor Juniper was angry… she was really scary!

"Sinking a warship, doing battle with the king of Team Plasma, rescuing a legendary Pokémon, not to mention bringing back two orphans! Do I even need to tell you how reckless, irresponsible, and rash these kinds of actions are—not to mention it was done without permission!" she went on.

Burgh opened his mouth and raised his finger.

"Don't even try to tell me the X-Transceiver didn't have any reception!"

He closed his mouth and his hand instantly fell.

Juniper turned back to us. She didn't sound fuming, enraged, but she wasn't not angry. Her eyes were hard, and held a deep disappointment in them. I likened the look to the kind my mom would give me if I did something dangerous in direct disobeyance of her warnings… like when I was younger when I walked on the railing over the ocean outside of town. A look that only communicated that what we did was seen as wrong. I could never be fond of it. "Who do you think you are?"

"We didn't kill anyone," I spoke up, voice hard, hands clenching my knees.

Juniper fell silent, and N and Burgh both turned to me with an aghast look, like I was about to stick my hand into a tank full of Sharpedo. I ignored the looks I was getting, and stared right at Juniper.

"That Victini was going to die—it would have been killed if we didn't do anything!" I shot back. "And, and it's not our fault the ship sank, it's not like it was in the game plan, but those things just happened! It was beyond our control! And Terrance and Piper are orphans, what—did you just want us to leave them out there to live in the streets and starve!?"

Juniper put her hand up calmly which halted an impending tirade on my end. She folded her hands behind her back, and sighed shortly through her nose. She wasn't looking at me. "I know you want to save the world, Touko."

That silenced me, and the thoughts bubbling over in my mind instantly simmered.

"…but brute force isn't the only method." She turned and looked directly at me. She didn't look angry anymore, but sternness replaced that and the disappointment still remained. Juniper continued before I could say another word, because she knew what kind of argument I would counter to that. "There's a reason why I don't authorize attacks like this, Touko. Reasons why I'd rather keep our organization on the down low, and out of the spot light. It's because the scene you pulled in Castelia yesterday put us on the map."

I wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that at first, but she was fine with elaborating when I didn't speak again.

"I don't have to tell you we're a big organization. You've lived in this base for a few months now, you know how things operate. You know how things are maintained. It took a lot of years, a lot of planning and a lot of Pokémon and manpower to build this place from the ground up. It's not the kind of place we can just pick up and transport to anywhere we'd like, not to mention with all the people, Pokémon and supplies we have here." She didn't sound angry anymore, but she sounded like she was trying to get me to understand. I hardly even needed her to say it, "If we're attacked… we'd have nowhere to run. If Team Plasma found out about this place, and they attacked us, we'd—"

"Alright," I had to stop her. I didn't want to hear her say it. I couldn't hear her say it. "I understand… what you're saying." My hands clenched tighter to my knees.

Juniper sighed and leant back on the table behind her. "I'm not sure I'll punish you. If you really covered your tracks like you said, then perhaps we might be able to get out of this one without too much trouble. And… while I'm still not thrilled about this, and don't agree with your methods… you're right. You didn't kill anyone, and instead you saved lives," a smile eased the intensity, "I can't punish you for that." She looked aside, eyes distant, and murmured to herself, "But so much could have gone wrong… I don't even want to think about it. You must have the luck of the gods for getting out of a scene like that unscathed."

For some reason, I didn't like being called 'lucky', because I really didn't feel it.

"Wait," she looked back to me, "what about all the soldiers and workers that were on the Black Ship when it sunk? Guh, what about the King?! After a scene like that, I doubt they'd just be walking it off."

I hadn't really thought about that at first. What_ had_ happened to all the soldiers and crew on the ship, and what about Anthea and Concordia? I couldn't imagine it pleasant taking a dip in that water, especially with the wreckage of a ship burning to the depths around you. Not to mention Christophe. Surely they got out of it fine?

"Uhh, yeah, sure. They're okay… I think," I ventured.

She sighed. "Alright. We'll have to lay low for a while as all this Black Ship business blows over, and we just have to hope and pray to any gods out there that Team Plasma doesn't find out where this base is, much less attack it."

"So that means…" I began.

"No new operations for a while now," she finished for me. "No leaving the base. No going anywhere. We keep quiet." She turned for the door, "Now is a good chance for the two of you to focus on taking care of those children you brought with you." Even now as she said it, I wasn't sure what she thought of Terrance and Piper being here. She didn't sound thrilled, at least.

I bit out, "Yes ma'am."

Burgh apologized as we left back to our rooms, but I told him he had nothing to apologize for.

"What do you think about all this?" I asked N as we were walking back to our room. I kind of wanted his perspective on this, since he'd remained mostly silent during the cage match Juniper and I had.

"I believe I can understand the arguments the both of you presented," N began. "Professor Juniper had raised many valid points, as did you. Although… because we didn't kill anyone, and saved lives instead, as you said, I can't find it in me to feel ashamed or guilty about what we did."

I smiled half heartedly, "Makes two of us, I guess."

"However…" he began, "I do worry about the future consequences of our actions…"

I didn't like the way that sounded. "But… we left quickly… just like Auston told us to. We covered our tracks, didn't let anyone see us or follow us…" _but was that enough?_ "They couldn't trace us back to this place…"

"I know we were careful, but it still worries me. Everyone saw us fighting out there. They all saw what we did. Professor Juniper was correct in saying that actions such as those would put us on Team Plasma's radar, and not just you or I, who already had bullseyes on our backs, but Professor Juniper, Burgh, and everyone in this base as well…"

I felt like my stomach was sinking. "You don't think… they'll come and attack here?"

His face was composed as usual, which must have been stark contrast to mine. "I believe that it is too early to tell. But what Professor Juniper said worries me even more… she doesn't want to leave."

"Yeah," I said, looking away, a bit of a wry smirk pulling on my lips. "It's our fortress after all."

"When wild Pokémon are attacked in their burrows, do you know what they do?" he asked me out of nowhere. His eyes were dead serious, and heavy.

Unfortunately, I didn't know the answer to that, so I said the first logical thing that came to mind, "Wouldn't they try to attack their enemy?"

"That is only partly correct. Most wild Pokémon are intelligent, and will not fight against an enemy they know they cannot beat. However, say the threat is standing at the mouth of their burrow. If they cannot attack it, and surely they will try, but if the enemy overpowers them it will only drive them deeper into the ground. It will reach a point when they will be unable to escape and will only continue to flee until—"

"Okay." I interrupted quickly. I didn't even need him to say it. "That… that just sounds too depressing. And anyway, it doesn't matter because it won't come to that. If Team Plasma shows up around here, I'll make them wish they'd never been born. I'd give my life to protect this place… and everyone here." I hoped that I really meant that.

N showed me a kind of smile, but it was strange as there wasn't much humor in it. "As would I, Touko."

I hope that he really meant that too.

.

Chapter 20

**Our Fortress **(_…what it means to be human_)

.

.

"Hey," Terrance said, zoning me back in. "Did you get in trouble because of us?"

I blinked at him for a moment, unsure if I should really answer that or not. I looked down to my stew, and swirled it absently with my spoon. "Not really."

Terrance frowned, holding a bun close to his chest as if someone was about to swoop down and steal it from him. "I don't want you to lie to me. Don't think I can't understand any of this serious stuff! I was a part of everything that happened out there too!"

A smirk pulled at the corner of my mouth, "Professor Juniper yelled at us a bit, but we didn't get punished. So, not really." Terrance blinked in surprise, but then sank back into his shoulders and grumpily chewed on his bun. By the look on his face, I had to wonder how long he'd been mulling that question over in his mind.

It'd been about a week or so since the fiasco at Castelia had ended. There wasn't much news broadcast from Team Plasma besides a bit of a flimsy story concocted to cover up most of what had happened and to villainize us and our Pokémon as much as possible.

They showed how the ship sank and the destruction we'd caused. The battle Christophe and I had had been doctored. In the footage I saw… he didn't have any Pokémon. It was only me and my own which were raising waves onto the ship and breaking it into pieces. I did notice, however, while Christophe was not shown fighting against me, they left in the footage of soldiers crowding onto the deck of the ship, looking desperately like they were trying to stop us. I suppose it was an attempt to make it look like less of a one sided assault, but in the end… they made it clear who the enemy was.

The media had a field day about Alphonse's little attack as well, and they made it look a lot more brutal than I remembered. Even as I watched the event that I had been part of, that I had helped to create… I felt afraid. All the burning metal in the ocean, drenched and bruised soldiers hauling themselves ashore, the eyes of a fear filled crowd. We… had done all that?

With the creatures secured at my waist… we had caused all of that. It felt unreal. And when I watched the footage, blurred and wavy from Juniper's rabbit ear TV… I found the fear of the masses to be justified.

But… we had done good that day… hadn't we? It was a victory… wasn't it? It was something I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about for a long time.

There had been no signs of Team Plasma around the base, or anywhere near the Desert Resort or route four since. I didn't know what to make of that, and I wasn't sure if I should feel more relieved or more on edge as the days rolled by. In the end, I'd decided not to worry about it. We'd gotten away, and we'd won that day, no point in wasting energy pulling out my hair fretting about an attack that may never come.

But if it did come, I already knew what I had to do.

Darker thoughts aside, Terrance and Piper had settled into the base rather well, and for that matter, so had Alphonse. They were washed up and all clean looking and smelling now. They'd been eating right since they'd got here, and already they were slowly packing on a bit of meat, though they ate modestly. It wasn't as easy to see bones through their skin anymore. We didn't exactly have any children's clothes around this place, because basically they were the only children here. We did manage to find some clothes that fit the both of them, but they looked more like hospital clothes than anything, and it stuck out just a little bit.

However, despite settling in here rather decently, it was clear tolls had been taken from their time spent on the streets. They trusted N and I, and had warmed right up to Bianca and my mom, but were often shy and withdrawn around most other members in the base, especially to people like Clay, though that was understandable.

"Um… Um…" Piper began, bringing me back to reality again. She was looking at me with those wide eyes of hers. She too was holding her food protectively to her body, and Alphonse was lapping up her soup which she was neglecting, his ears occasionally twitching. "Where's… where's N?"

"Good question." I showed a lopsided smile, "Three guesses."

"Is he still working on that dumb computer of his?!" Terrance spoke up. "Geez, why does he always shut himself inside of that stupid room? What is even doing in there all day? Weirdo…"

"Well," I began. "He does his part to keep his base running as well, and he does have a lot of information to research and…whatnot."

Terrance looked away, sticking out his bottom lip. "Those aren't good excuses."

"Well, they aren't really excuses, because that's what he is doing… I think," I said, fiddling with my spoon. I really wasn't feeling this stew right now. Maybe Alphonse would eat it instead. Alphonse perked his ears and looked up at me with his glassy blue eyes. I blinked. Could he hear me? In my head? Well… Victini were part psychic.

"Doesn't mean he has to lock himself in there all day!" Terrance protested again. "What fun is it just sitting in front of a computer doing work? Couldn't he come out with us and… well… hang out for a while?"

"Yeah! That'd be fun!" Piper said, throwing up her arms, to which Alphonse imitated her with another peep.

"Well… he did have breakfast with us," I offered. N usually did stick around for the morning meal. Even on some rare occasions he'd show up for lunch, never for dinner though—I don't think he even ate dinner.

Meal times were kind of awkward though because we'd all just focus on eating and no one would really look at each other or try to talk with each other. I seemed to have forgotten how to talk to children correctly, and I don't think N even knew how to in the first place. That, and these kids were still settling in. I don't think they saw this place as their home yet. I could tell just by looking at them that they didn't feel comfortable here. It was almost like they didn't belong here.

"Can… can we… can… we…" Piper looked down, fiddling with her hair.

I looked at her gently, "What is it, sweetie?"

Piper swallowed and looked up at me. "Can we go ask N to come play with us? I think he should come out and have some fun too… and I… I want to see your guyses Pokémon!"

I dropped my spoon into my half empty stew and stood up. "Alright. Why not?! Let us greet him with a surprise visit, shall we?"

This was followed by an exuberant chorus, and added squeak, of, "Yeah!"

And we did just that. I wasn't sure if this would be a pleasant surprise for him or not, but I decided not to put too much thought in it.

Piper and Terrance were holding tightly onto each of my hands as we made our way down there. Terrance was holding a bit looser and didn't cling as closely to my side as Piper did, like he was playing the part of the tough guy or something. The tightness of his grip spoke otherwise. Terrance and Piper never really went anywhere on their own, and when they did they'd always be following me, Bianca, or my mother. They'd hold close and tight. I could feel how tense their bodies were, and saw how often their eyes darted about, searching for enemies.

"You guys don't have to look so scared," I told them, my voice sounding awkward and half forced, even to me. "You're among friends here, okay?" I made out better with that line.

"I'm not scared," Terrance huffed, but sounded like he only half-believed in what he said. Despite his words, he drifted a bit from me, but my fingers were still numb.

It didn't take us long to find N, and he was sitting right where he always was. He appeared to be doing some kind of computer work or research in this far off, and kind of cramped, room. I'd had to wonder why he picked this place to do all his work and 'research' in. It was a place so far off from the regular and common areas of the base, like the lounge or mess hall. The only rooms that accompanied this one were store rooms and supply closets, but maybe that's why he'd picked this place. For the solitude.

I could barely see it over his shoulder, but it looked like he was scrolling awfully fast through some heavily worded data. He hadn't noticed us, though to our credit we hadn't made much noise. He was absorbed in his work as usual, and he had pretty good posture.

Alphonse was perched on my shoulder and watched N curiously as I leant on the doorframe. Terrance and Piper acted kind of oddly on the other hand. She peeked around the door and blinked at him nervously and uncertainly. Terrance only leant against the outside wall just near the door, stuck out his bottom lip and pretended to be interested in the floor.

They'd made such a point to come over here and now they were getting cold feet? By the way they were acting, they must have thought N was gonna bite their heads off if they disturbed him. Couldn't fathom why, he isn't exactly terrifying.

I quickly realized that if I didn't get the ball rolling, then we'd be standing here all day. I put a hand on both of their shoulders to get their attention. When they looked up at me, I put a finger to my lips. Why not have a bit of fun with this? They gave me a look that I read as '_is that really a good idea_?' And I smiled back a '_why not_?!'

Alphonse glided down from my shoulder and Piper caught him. They all watched with a certain attentiveness as I strolled casually over. I didn't try to tip-toe or sneak my way over, but N seemed not to notice me either way. I was either quieter than I thought or he was really into… whatever he was doing. Trapped in his own little world I guess.

What should I do? Wet willie? Nuggie? _Boo_ right in his ear?

All options were certainly viable, and each one bound to be amusing in its own way, but I settled upon the one which was less likely to give him a heart attack. I covered his eyes with my hands as quick as I could. He immediately stopped typing and I could have sworn I felt him jump. Then, in the most grizzly, husky, man-voice I could assume, I came close to his ear and said, "_Guess who_…"

There was a pause. "What are you doing, Touko?"

I uncovered his eyes, "Hey, you're good at this! How could you tell?"

He blew out a bit of a sigh and rotated his chair in my direction. That surprised me; I didn't know he had a wheely chair in this room…! "I saw you coming."

"Oh, really?" I said sarcastically, but still in good nature. "Through the eyes in the back of your head, yeah?"

"Yes, actually," he said as if it was the most casual thing in the world. My eyes narrowed dangerously at him. He wanted to play mind games, ey?

Before I could call him out on that, he finally noticed them standing there. "Terrance? Piper? Alphonse? What are all of you doing here?"

Terrance crossed his arms and looked away.

Piper's cheeks reddened. "Come play with us!" she blurted rather loudly, and quickly held Alphonse up in front of her face. The Victini blinked absently in her place.

N looked confused. I had to smile at him, "They want to spend some time with you." Though, this only made him look more confused.

"Yeah," Terrance said, finally speaking up, but he did continue to wear a rather unconvincing look of indifference. "Why don't you stop sitting in front of that computer all day and come have fun with us!?"

N looked at them like he was trying to figure out what to make of this situation. He began to say, "However… there are still many things to be done…"

I shrugged. "Things are stupid."

He paused, and then made a sort of hum in agreement. He then looked to Terrance, Piper and Alphonse who looked like they were on the edge of their seats. He took in a breath, smiled, closed the lid of his laptop and said, "Alright. Why not?"

"Mission accomplished!" I said with a declarative fist in the air to which was followed by a chorus, and a squeak, of, "Yeah!"

* * *

><p>We went to the arena. It was the closest place we had to a park—or wide open space—and it would be the best place to introduce our Pokémon to them if they were so eager to see them.<p>

Terrance and Piper looked expectantly at us, and I said, "So, which Pokémon do you want to see first?" I was trying to think which one of my Pokémon was most kid-friendly. Hyle? Luca? They were all actually pretty intimidating, and even a sweet looking one like Ophelia could get ruthless. I paused, stuck on the answer.

"I know," N said, breaking the silence. He released Laika. She looked around the arena uninterestedly and gave herself a shake.

"Oh!" Piper suddenly gasped. "I remember this one! She was the nice doggy that protected us on the ship! Terrance, 'member!?" she said, pulling on his sleeve.

Terrance's eyes lit up when he saw her, like he'd never seen anything like it before in his life, though he tried to hide that as best he could. "Y-yeah…"

Laika didn't seem too fazed by the kid's reactions, and remained indifferent… that was until she saw me.

The second she lay eyes on me I knew this would only lead to trouble. A snicker spread across her snout and my eyes narrowed. What was she planning?

I was answered a second later as, with a puff of smoke, Laika transformed into me.

This got a reaction out of the kids. "Whoa!" "Did you see that!?" "There are two Toukos!" "How did she do that!? Whoa!" all while pointing and gasping. Even Alphonse was flipping out, imitating the both of them the best he could without words.

It was a pretty impeccable illusion, but that's what the Zorua line was known for. I'd seen it first hand before, and even now she'd changed into me almost perfectly. It surprised me a bit too because I didn't even know she could change into people. The only thing that really stood apart was her eyes—in my sockets—which were a bright crimson. She had a smile on her face that looked… _wrong_ on my face or just wrong on the general face of a human really. And… oh yeah, she also had a tail sticking out of her behind, though I couldn't tell if that was intentional or not.

She ignored the kid's flabbergasted reactions, held her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels innocently. _Too_ innocently. Just before I could even say, "No tricks" Laika brought up a hand.

I caught on, "Oh no…"

Her hand… my hand… her illusion hand came slowly closer and closer to my face.

I pointed at her accusingly. "Nope! Nope! Don't you even think about it!"

She stuck out a finger which slowly approached my nose.

"Don't!"

And, of course, she stuck it in. And then she twisted it.

"Hyle! Brick Break!" That caught her off guard, if you could call that my small victory. My Emboar came roaring out and he slammed his fist down at her, but to her credit, Laika was fast and was probably expecting an over blown reaction like that. She managed to revert back to her normal form in the blink of an eye and back flipped gracefully out of the way as Hyle's fist struck the ground. Her mane prickled a bit, but she'd got out of that unharmed.

"T-Touko! Please calm down!" N said, trying to hold me back from going at Laika with my own fists, and hey, Alphonse was even helping him.

"Let me at her!"

I could have sworn I saw my Emboar sigh from across the arena.

"Whoa!" Terrance blurted at the sight of Hyle. "Oh, I remember that guy too! Wasn't he on the ship with us?"

I immediately simmered down and turned back to Terrance. "Yeah. He's my Emboar. His name is Hyle. He was the first Pokémon I ever got, that's what you call a starter." Hyle lumbered over, shaking out his arm as he went.

"That's totally cool…" Terrance said, looking up at my Emboar in awe.

"Why is he on fire though?" Piper asked out of the blue.

I had to hold back a laugh. "Because he's a fire type."

"Duh," Terrance said, rolling his eyes.

"I didn't know, okay!" she said, flustered.

"However," I said, bringing up a finger—but not anywhere near my nose—Pokémon can have up to two types. These are called dual type Pokémon. Does anyone care to guess what Hyle's secondary type is?"

"Oh! Uh… punching type—fighter type!" Terrance blurted, while Piper looked like she was carefully thinking of an answer.

"It's actually fighting type, but eh, close enough. Ten points!" I declared.

"What type is Laika?" Piper asked curiously. "Uh!" she suddenly gasped, "Shadow type! Um… changing type! Black… type! Foxtype!" she was just blurting out words now.

"Dark type," I finished.

She deflated.

"You still get ten points anyway," I told her with a smile.

"Yay!" she cheered, rebounding faster than the blink of an eye.

"What!?" Terrance blurted, "She can't get ten points if she didn't even get the right answer!"

"I can too!" she fought back.

"Can not!"

"You didn't get the right answer either, dummy!"

"Children are interesting," N said beside me.

I had to smile, "Uhh, I guess that's a word for it. Okay, guys, break it up." Burgh was right when he said this wasn't going to be easy. I managed to break them apart before there were tears, but they were giving each other some nasty looks. Oh siblinghood.

"Oh!" N suddenly gasped, "I know who'd like to see you!" he then released Marie and Piper immediately squealed so loud that I almost felt my ears bleed.

"Oh my…! She is so… _adorable_!" Piper gushed, staring starry eyed at the Audino. She came up close to Marie, and looked like all she wanted to do was hug that big, pink blob of a Pokémon. Marie seemed to see this too, smiled kindly, opened up her arms, and invited the gesture.

Piper didn't spare a second and threw her arms around Marie in the biggest and gushiest hug I'd ever seen. "I love this one!" Piper declared. "I love her!"

I had to laugh. This was almost too cute for me.

"What type is she?" Piper asked, peeking over Marie's shoulder.

"Normal type," N answered. "She's only weak to fighting type Pokémon."

Piper shot Hyle a sharp look, to which he stepped away a little. I couldn't believe that my Emboar was intimidated by a six year old girl. I almost died laughing right then.

"Ehh," Terrance shrugged his shoulders. "She's okay, I guess. A bit too pink."

Piper finally let Marie go, and the Audino held out a paw to Terrance, despite what he'd just said. He looked at her paw out of the corner of his eye. She smiled at him. "Yeah… okay," and he begrudgingly took her hand.

"Yay!" Piper cheered as the three of them held hands in a love chain.

I couldn't admire this for too long, and before my heart could melt to a puddle, a visitor arrived in the arena. It was Professor Juniper, and when I saw her I couldn't suppress a slight jump. Was she here to lecture us again?

"Heyo," she said with a casual wave, "You look like you're all having fun."

"Yeah!" Piper cheered over, holding up Marie's hand in her own.

Juniper then looked to me, "Don't worry, I'm not here to lecture you again." I visibly relaxed and she cocked an eyebrow, to which I could only respond with an innocent grin. She disregarded me, "I'm here on official business. I have a present for you, N." Juniper pulled a Pokéball out of her lab coat.

Piper gasped, and she raced over, pulling Marie, Terrance, and Alphonse—who had joined the love chain as well—along with her. "What is it!? What is it!?"

"Could it possibly be…" N began, looking mutely interested.

"Indeed, it is." Juniper opened up the Pokéball and released a small, feathered bird… or was it a reptile? it looked a bit of both. "Presenting to you, your brand new Archen! I had to brush the dust of the revival machine, and it took a bit of time, but with a bit of elbow grease I was able to revive the Plume fossil you gave me."

We all looked down at the Archen, and the Archen looked up to all of us, its eyes wide. It bowed its head sheepishly and drew back a few steps, feeling obviously overwhelmed.

N was the first to approach the Pokémon, as Terrance and Piper gazed from afar. Perhaps they were trying to guess what type it was.

N knelt down to the Archen with an easy smile on his face, and held out his hand. "You don't have to be afraid."

Piper looked as if she was about to rush forward and try to befriend the Pokémon with a much more forward approach, but Marie stopped her, and shook her head. The Archen clearly felt alien here, not knowing where it was or who all these people surrounding it were. It definitely needed to be coaxed gently at a time like this.

The Archen hadn't paid much attention to anyone but N at this time. It looked curiously at his hand, and then up to his face, and then back to his hand again. It fluttered its wings slightly and cocked its head more like a bird than a reptile. It then hopped toward N's hand, sniffed it cautiously, and then opened its beak and bit down. What surprised me even more, however, is that all N did was keep smiling.

I could only blink. "Er… N?" The Pokémon continued to nibble on his hand. "It's… biting you." I stated, as if he hadn't noticed.

"I know," he said offhandedly.

"Uhh. But… you're bleeding…" I pointed to his hand, which was still being chomped on by the Archen.

"I think she likes to bite!" he announced with a huge smile.

"Uhh," I had no idea why he sounded or looked so happy about that. "But… you're still bleeding."

"You don't need to worry," he said, smile intensity decreasing slightly. "They are love bites, aren't they?" he almost cooed to the Pokémon. It stopped biting his hand for a moment, blinked, and raised its wings with a caw. He turned to me brightly, "See?"

I paused. Did that mean yes?

By now, Terrance had left his place in the love chain and had cautiously approached N and the Archen. He stood near them, observing.

"What is that guy?" he eventually asked.

"It's an Archen," N said, rubbing the Pokémon's bald crown. "It's a prehistoric Pokémon that can only be brought to life nowadays via technology and machines."

"Whoa! Really?" Terrance gasped. "How do you do that?"

"It's a complicated process," Juniper filled in before N could begin, because, given the chance, I think N would have spent all day explaining the whole step-by-step to him. "It has to do with extracting the ancient Pokemon's DNA from the fossil, and cloning it, in a sense, to revive it. I could show you how it works one day if you're curious."

Terrance nodded, perhaps planning to take her up on that. "What type is he?" he asked, turning back to N. "Uh… bird type? Fly type?" he ventured.

"Yes, but Archen is a dual type," N offered.

Terrance frowned, "Oh man, those ones are tricky…" and he looked like was drawing a blank on the first type.

"Archen is a rock and flying type Pokémon," N said which saved Terrance from brainstorming all day.

"Oh… I guess that makes sense," he said, looking at the Pokémon carefully to see if that information matched in real life. "So uh," he began again, "What are you gonna call it? You can name em, right? He's your Pokémon-guy, right?"

N looked upward absently, "Hmm…"

"Oh! I know!" Terrance suddenly blurted, "Call him Iron Hawk Destroyer! He looks like he's gonna be a destroyer when he gets bigger! Like that guy over there," Terrance said, pointing to Hyle.

I had to smile, "Well I don't think that Archen will end up looking exactly like Hyle when it evolves…"

"You know what I mean!"

"There aren't enough spaces for that name," N told him, scratching the Archen under the chin.

Terrance made a face, "Call him Chuck!"

N shook his head. "Won't do. It's a girl." The Archen squawked.

"Really?" Terrance pouted, "Lame."

Piper suddenly gasped and puttered over with Marie in tow. "I know what you should call her!" she declared. Marie put a kind hand on Piper's shoulder, and peeped something to her. She suddenly gasped, "Um! I mean, if it's okay for me to name her," she backpedaled.

N showed a kind of smile, "What name were you thinking of?"

"Um. How about, um. How about… Anya…" Piper said a bit nervously.

"Wha— " I heard Terrance gasp, but I don't think anyone else was close enough to hear it. I looked down to him, but his eyes were only on his sister and the Archen. I thought this was about to lead to another sibling argument, but I couldn't fathom why. They'd cooperated well with naming Alphonse.

Yet… he didn't speak up, or didn't rush toward her as if he wanted to pick a fight. He just… stood there and watched. His eyes seemed wide, incredulous almost, but he didn't say anything or go anywhere. He just watched his sister, and his eyes… almost looked like they were shining.

I kept my eye on him, but also said nothing. I had an idea, but I didn't want to pry. It wasn't my place to do so.

N turned back to the Archen, and showed a small smile. "Is that the name you'd like?"

With a small glance at Piper, the Archen chirped and flapped its wings as if it was trying to get off the ground.

"That sounds like an affirmative," Juniper said with an amused smile. "Take care of that Archen now."

"Yes." N said quickly, as if he didn't even need to be told.

The frown on Terrance's face deepened. I heard him huff, and he stalked away back to where Hyle was standing. N and I watched him go with a bit of an unreadable stare.

"Professor!" we all turned to see an assistant standing by the door. "We need you over here, ma'am."

"Ah, duty calls," Juniper said, turning on her heel and heading primly toward the exit, "I'll be seeing you all again!"

I waved the professor a goodbye, but then realized she wouldn't have been able to see it, and a few 'goodbyes' and chirps followed her.

Having just seen Juniper, and having this new Archen around also reminded me of something I needed to do. I took out a Pokéball and released Hana, my Carracosta. I realized a little too late that I hadn't factored in the Archen's reaction to seeing one of its prehistoric brethren, but luckily for me the two of their species appeared not to have been enemies in the ancient world.

The Archen squawked in a mix of shock and surprise, though that's what it sounded like to me. Hana, on the other hand, didn't look very impressed—or anything really—of this little feathered bird. She let the creature scuttle around her and take her in from almost every angle, as if she was some great monument to it. After she'd seen the sights, Anya stopped right in front of my Carracosta and the two of them just stared at each other.

There was a bit of a silence as we all watched and waited to see what would come about from their meeting.

Anya chirped again and raised one of her wings like she was pointing. Hana offered a flipper, and Anya quickly crawled up her arm and plopped onto the flat of her head. The Archen showed a fanged smile from her new perch, enjoying the new bird's-eye view, even if she did have to rely on another Pokémon to get that high.

"They made friends!" Piper said happily.

"I guess they did," I said, a bit surprised. "Anyway," I walked over to my Carracosta and inspected the back of her shell, "how are you holding up? Does your back hurt?" Hana gave a negative grunt.

"That's good," my tone gentle.

During the battle on the Black Ship, Hana had taken a pretty devastating hit from Christophe's Scraggy; it cracked her shell nearly in two. Luckily it'd hadn't been split and Juniper and some of her medical helpers had managed to put a brace on her to slowly merge the two halves back into one again. Though it would need a little bit more than a guiding push to make it good as new.

"Time for some self repair then?" I asked her as she eyed me from under her stony brow, which made her look like she was always scowling. She nodded. "Need any help?" But, as I figured she would, Hana declined my offer with a small shake of her head. She was usually the type of Pokémon who liked to fix things on her own, so I left her to it.

Hana was, of course, always a slow Pokémon, even in non battle situations. She took it very slow and very steady as she waddled over to some far corner of the room where she was sure she wouldn't obstruct anyone, and she took the Archen with her who stumbled around on the flat of her head as she swayed along.

Once she'd found an ideal spot, she started spitting a Water Gun all over the raw earth.

"What's that thing doing?" Terrance asked beside me.

"Wait and see," I said with a small smile.

Once Hana had created a pretty sizeable puddle of loose and muddy earth, she fell right down on her back with a _kersplat_! She didn't even warn the Archen of this action, but Anya reacted pretty quickly, and flapped off of Hana's skull with a distressed peep. It managed to stay aloft for… perhaps half a second before it dropped down on Hana's stomach.

Using her tail, Hana then began to spin slowly around as if she were stuck in a gentle and self-made whirlpool. Mud baths were always Hana's favorite thing, and they were more than just relaxing for her as well. All that mud was filling up the cracks and gashes in her shell, and when hardened would make a pretty decent self-patch job, though the whole process would take a little time and repeated applications to get it good as new again. At least she was enjoying it.

Hana sprinkled a Water Gun into the air and across her scaly body as she continually rotated. Anya wasn't particularly fond of being showered on, and quitted Hana and scuttled back to our group. Archen sure were fast on the ground, even if they couldn't fly.

"Cute bird."

I nearly flew out of my skin, and I wasn't the only one she'd startled. "E-Elesa!? What are you doing here?" I gasped, "Where did you even come from?" I looked to the door Juniper just left from, then to the other exit on the further side. I hadn't even heard or seen her come over, and judging by the looks of everyone else, they hadn't either. I looked at her hard; this wasn't one of Laika's tricks again… was it?

She looked at me from under her bangs, "I'm not the Zoroark." But that only made me more suspicious. She didn't have a tail though…

"Then…" I said cautiously, "What are you here for?"

She lolled her head to the side, sticking out her bottom lip and shifting from foot to foot. "If I can be honest with you, a bit of boredom, a bit for procrastination, and well… I just kind of felt like having a bit of fun."

"Oh…" I said, not really expecting such a casual tone or elaboration on her part. "How did you know we were here?"

"I didn't really. I'd come here to let some of my Pokémon out to breathe, this base can truly be stifling sometimes," she said, pulling on the black collar of her turtleneck, "and all of you just happened to be here when I arrived. Oh? Hello? What do we have down here?"

Elesa had then noticed Terrance and Piper, who, once seeing her, had backed away quite a bit, and Piper was hiding behind Marie to the Audino's confusion. This didn't surprise me.

"Sorry…" I murmured, "Don't take it personally. They're shy."

"I see," she said, leaning back. "These are the children you brought back with you from Castelia." Most people in the base knew of Terrance and Piper and their general situation… and about what had happened to their parents.

A bright smile appeared on Elesa's face which was similar to the sun breaking through clouds. She leant down, "Hello down there. I'm not sure I've been properly introduced to the both of you before. What's your name, sweetheart?"

Piper jumped, her cheeks became red, and she retreated further behind the Audino. "Pi… Piper…" words barely above a whisper.

"What a sweet name," her voice surprisingly fond and smooth, "but the little problem is, sweetheart, I can't see you too well from behind this Audino." Elesa cocked her head to the side with a sad little smile.

Marie turned around to face Piper, as she was inadvertently becoming the center of attention. She took Piper's hands and smiled encouragingly at her. Marie started to walk toward Elesa, and at first Piper hesitantly dug her heels in. Marie stopped with her and gave her hand an affirming squeeze. Piper remained unsure, but Elesa and Marie continued to smile.

"You don't need to be afraid, sweetheart. No one here is an enemy to you." I think Piper had seen a lot during her time in those streets, both of those children had. I'm sure she knew that, sometimes, even the kindest words could be spoken by monsters. But the doubt in her eyes was lifting. Perhaps she could tell that Elesa wasn't lying, but I couldn't guess what it was that allowed her to know that. Maybe she just felt it.

Marie peeped, nodding her head in agreement. The Audino reached out and grabbed Elesa's hand, and then she brought the both of them together.

A flush came to her cheeks as Piper blinked in surprise, but when she felt no fangs and claws against her, she allowed her fingers to slowly climb over Elesa's hand. The former Gym leader smirked and wrapped her hand around the smaller one. "See? There's no need to be scared."

"U-um… O-okay…" her cheeks reddened, and a small smile found its way onto her face.

"Well now, now that I've got a good look at you… I can see you have some really lovely hair!" Elesa said, running a hand gently over Piper's hair. "It's such a rich black… and such a cute face too!" Elesa said, poking Piper's cheek which made the girl giggle.

"Um… Thanks… I… think you're pretty too… miss lady…" she said, holding her heated cheeks and twisting side to side.

I watched this scene unfold, almost studying Elesa. She was good.

"Who are you anyway?" Terrance demanded, tough demeanor shattered when Alphonse drifted down and plopped on his head. Terrance pretended not to notice the Victini and kept staring Elesa down.

Elesa raised her eyebrows at his brashness, almost looking impressed. "Name's Elesa, kid. I am… well…" she paused for a moment. "I used to be the Gym leader of Nimbasa City… but that was a long time ago."

"Gym leader? What's that? You mean you lifted dumbbells and stuff?" Piper looked back and forth between Elesa and Marie for the answer.

I had to laugh, "It wasn't that kind of gym. It was a gym for Pokémon and their trainers." I looked up in thought, "Well, back in the day, when anyone could own a Pokémon if they wanted to, there was a kind of circuit Pokémon trainers could go through to test their skills. The Gym leaders were like the bosses you fought to move up to the next level. Once you beat them all, you could fight the Champion, who was the strongest of all trainers. If you beat the final boss, then you'd become the Champion."

Piper looked like she vaguely understood, "Did you become a Champion, Touko?"

A sudden numbness came over me, and I looked quickly away. "Aa—no… not really…"

From the corner of my eye I could see N looking at me, but I didn't feel like trying to figure out what I could read from that stare.

"So if they were bosses, I guess they were really strong, eh?" Terrance asked, hands shoved in his pockets. Alphonse followed his eyes and smiled up at me.

Elesa rose to her full height, and she was even taller with heels. "We were at the levels we needed to be to pose a challenge to the trainers that we fought," she winked at Terrance, "which meant not one of us were easy to beat."

"What… what kind of Pokémon do you have then?!" Piper asked, eyes glittering.

"You'd like to see?" Elesa asked with another smooth smile. "Better yet, how about I show you what a Gym leader can do?" The eyes of those two kids lit up with palpable expectation, and then she turned to me. "It's been a while since we had a battle, hasn't it?"

I blinked. "Me?"

"No, the wall," Elesa smirked, nearly rolling her eyes.

My cheeks colored slightly, "O-oh. Well, uh, yeah. I guess."

"You guys are gonna battle!?" Terrance immediately burst. "You guys are gonna battle!?" He was slightly hyped.

Elesa laughed at his exuberance, and she looked back to me, "What do ya say? Ever since I saw you and Bianca battle a while ago, I'd remembered the kind of passion I felt the first time I'd battled you, as well. What do you say we rekindle it?"

At first I wasn't sure how to react. I looked to Piper, but she seemed only mildly curious. Terrance was, to say the least, elated, and clinging to the edge of his seat had he been sitting. Alphonse continued hugging his head with a fanged smile, and N was paying more attention to the Archen on his shoulder than what was going on over here. Hana was still mud bathing, and wasn't paying any attention to us, as she probably knew I wasn't going to be using her anyway. The general consensus was… Eh.

I shrugged. "Yeah. Alright. Why not?"

"Totally wicked!" Terrance hooted.

And so, we battled.

* * *

><p>Elesa took her side of the battle field while I stood on mine. Everyone else had settled on the bleachers to the side, and were all regarding us with varying levels of attention.<p>

I tapped the toes of my boots against the ground, stretching my hands over and behind my head. Hyle stood before me, flamed beard crackling in anticipation. "I wonder if we can pull this off…"

Hyle looked back at me from over his shoulder, almost incredulous under his thick brows.

I smirked, "Not that I'm doubting that you can do it, buddy. I know how tough you are."

He snorted, almost as if to say, '_that's right_.'

"Feels kind of weird fighting old foes again…" I rolled my shoulders, eyes absently at my feet. "It's kind of like digging up relics to the past or something, though I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing yet. If anything, I guess I just don't want to be too caught up in the past… I don't want to forget it, but I'm not keen on remembering it either."

I felt Hyle's clawed hand on my shoulder, which surprised me, as I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I hadn't even seen, let alone heard, him lumber over. His nostrils flared, and rich brown irises were burning like the flames on his body. The intensity of his look was broken by a fanged smile. What an incredibly rare sight for my Emboar to show—at least a smile like that. I hadn't seen Hyle smile at me with such warmth since long before I battled N. He brought up a claw a poked the dull end against the corner of my mouth. I followed the motions, and had to smile.

"Yeah," I laughed, "I guess all memories come with their good and their bad. I'd rather smile on the past as well, instead of dwelling on the negativity and letting the darkness eat me up," I shook my head, "not again…"

My Emboar seemed pleased with his work, and nodded firmly.

"D'I ever tell you how awesome you are?"

I wasn't sure if Hyle's cheeks became red then, as it was hard to tell, but I was sure I saw a certain blush come over him.

"Oi!" Elesa called over, "You two ready over there?"

"Yeah! We're good!" I said, and Hyle affirmed this by stamping a foot on the ground and punching his knuckles together.

"Awesome!" I heard Terrance shout from the bleachers.

"Let's give him a show, shall we?" The flames on my Pokémon built in ferocity.

"Indeed! Emolga, the spotlight is on you!" Elesa, with movements artsy and swift, tossed out a Pokéball and released an electric flying squirrel. It landed on her side of the field with a charming smile that was hard to resist.

I heard Piper gasp loudly, "Wow! She's cute!"

I glanced over at the bleachers to Terrance and Piper, a small smile on my lips. I couldn't make out much of what they were saying, but they appeared to be hounding N with questions to what Pokémon Elesa was using, what type it was, or what to expect from it, and he seemed happy enough to provide them with the answers. He was smiling too. Their joy… seemed contagious for the both of us.

"One-on-one, by the way," I turned back to Elesa with my hands on my hips. "No items either. I wasn't exactly fond of the switcheroo act you played when I first won your badge…"

"Too much for you?" she taunted lightly, but my smile only grew. "You're in luck. I wasn't planning on using that tactic anyway. If I didn't mix things up a bit, I'd be stuck in the same fashion every season! Emolga! Acrobatics!"

"Hyle! Hit it with Flamethrower!"

Problem was that her Emolga was _fast_. It zipped out of the way, quick as a bolt of lightning, darted to the far left of the room, rebounded off the wall and knocked right into Hyle, choking his flames mid-stream. He was tough, as ever, and managed to take the hit without falling over, but it pushed him back a good few feet.

After the successful hit, the Emolga bounced back to Elesa's side of the field, and landed gentle as a leaf on the ground.

I bit my lip, "She's tough…!"

Hyle growled in agreement as he passed an arm over his already bruising abdomen.

"Second act!" Elesa said primly, snapping her fingers.

I choked a breath. "Hyle, get ready to use Smack Down!" I had fought fast opponents before, and Bianca's Mienshao was one of them. I'd managed to take it out of the sky with a couple well placed boulders, so since it had worked so well last time…

Emolga shot directly up into the air with the same unparalleled speed. Hyle managed to follow it, and seemed to have been predicting the movement, so he quickly broke the chunks of rock off the ground and hurled one at the Emolga as it dive bombed directly at him.

However, somehow, as the rock was barreling at it, it tilted its body at a slight angle and the rock blew right past it. Though it missed, the force of the rock shot seemed to slow its momentum, which left it open. "Hyle!" he could see this and lobbed the second rock right at our foe.

"Emolga! Dazzle them!"

I watched in awe as the Emolga's body began to crackle with electricity. With a heave of its winged arms, it swooped right under the rock and landed on the ground. It then pushed itself off of the ground, gaining new momentum, and sped toward Hyle with a Spark-charged Acrobatics.

This took me off guard, and I found my tongue twisted as I tried to tell Hyle to block or dodge. Luckily, he was on the ball as ever, and in the short moments he had, was only able to bring up his arms to shield the blow. And did it strike him.

I felt a blast of wind tear by as I brought up my hands to block the shockwave that followed the collision. I managed to peek out to see my Emboar get pushed back again. Hyle barely kept his footing, but the force had him reeling back right toward me.

"Touko!"

I couldn't really tell who called my name, and I guess they were worried that I'd get squished by Hyle's weight, but I didn't step aside, or get out of the way. I stood there with my hands held out as Hyle slowly ground to a stop a hair's breadth in front of me. I placed my hands against his back and steadied him. I heaved a bit of a shaky breath, "That was… close… ey?"

Just as I passed a gentle hand over Hyle's back, a spark leapt from his fur onto my hand, and I recoiled with a gasp. I looked up in shock to see my Emboar bearing his teeth at our adversaries, movements slow and sudden.

Emolga's static had paralyzed him! "_Shit_…!"

We'd had a hard enough time trying to hit that thing as it was, and now Hyle could hardly move. Was this the end? It certainly wasn't looking very bright. If I didn't think of a plan quick, then it'd be finished in the next turn. But how on earth could I hit that Emolga? It was too fast to even…

I heard Hyle growl, and looked up in shock. His one eye was on me from over his broad shoulder. All thoughts in my head fell silent; all half-thought plans of retaliation went unfinished. Hyle's eyes were smoldering. He stomped each foot on the ground, one at a time, and planted his feet firm.

I blinked down at his feet and then back up to him. I swallowed hard, "You think you can take the hit?"

He snorted a plume of smoke, and the flames around his neck rose. I had to smirk. "You got it, pal."

"Have you survived, back there?" Elesa questioned with a wave of her short hair.

"We're not out yet!" I called from behind my Pokémon.

"How charming, your vigor," she remarked with a smile. "However, the final curtain is about to fall! Emolga!"

Emolga began to spark again, electricity coursing across its fur.

I didn't back away from Hyle. I stood right behind him and placed my hands on his back. "Better hope this works, or else you'll have a pancake for a trainer…" I said, smirking at the mad thought.

Hyle growled, and the rumble went through his whole body through to my own hands. I sucked in a breath and closed my eyes. I knew it was coming!

The Emolga shot off the ground once its electricity had built to its peak. It bounced up to the rugged ceiling, pushed off of it, and descended right at us.

I closed my eyes, "Catch it!"

Hyle held out his hands, and I heard Elesa gasp, "Oh no, Emolga!" But it was too late. Her Pokémon was going too fast to have any hope of stopping now. Which was partly good and partly bad. It fell right into Hyle's arms with extreme force, and as before, it pushed my Emboar back, and took me along with it. I pushed against Hyle's back, my eyes closed, my teeth clenched. We held strong.

I dug my feet into the ground as hard as I could, trying to keep my shuddering legs into their stance, trying to fight against the force. I tried to give my Emboar all the power I could, to combine our energies into one.

In almost a moment, the pressure lessened… and we ground to a stop.

I heard Hyle exhale in the calm, and a huge smirk spread across my face. He'd managed to hang on, somehow. "Head Smash!"

_CCRRRACKKK—!_ and the battle had finished.

Hyle tossed the dazed mouse to the ground disinterestedly, and scratched the top of his head. I breathed out another shaky sigh and walked out from behind my Emboar. Looking back, that was a little bit too close. I'd nearly been stuck between an Emboar and a hard place, and if we hadn't stopped where we'd stopped, I really would've been a trainer pancake.

"Oh no!" I jumped at the shrill voice which hit the air. I thought it had been Elesa at first, and was surprised that she could get her voice so high and loud, but just as I was thinking that, Piper leapt off the bleachers and ran toward the fainted Emolga. She picked it up with extreme gentleness and cradled the incapacitated thing in her arms. "Horrible!" she burst, turning toward my Emboar. "You're such a meanie! How could you do that! Horrible!" she kept blubbering as she held the Pokémon closer with tears brimming.

"Uhh…" was the only response I was able to give, and Hyle was just as speechless.

Before Piper could break down into tears, or take revenge on Hyle, whichever one came first, Marie swooped in to the rescue. And by swooped I mean she puttered over in the hurried way an Audino does with its small, stubby legs.

"Marie!" Piper cried as the Audino joined her. "Look what he did! Look what they did…!"

Marie blinked at the limp Emolga and showed Piper a reassuring smile.

"Why are you smiling!? This is…" but before Piper could continue, Marie put her paws together, closed her eyes, and began to glow in a comforting, pink light. Piper watched in awe as Marie placed her paws upon the wounded Emolga, and rejuvenated it with a powerful Heal Pulse. The horrible lump and bruise the creature had on its head receded in its swelling and the fur and skin returned to its normal color. Only a second afterward, the Emolga slowly blinked its eyes open, and looked to Piper and Marie curiously.

Piper was too shocked to even speak. The Emolga, hopped out of the girl's arms and began to circle above their heads in happiness and gratitude. Elesa had joined them by this time with a happy smile, and passed her thanks on to Piper and Marie for their help and concern.

"Touko." N was immediately by my side, though I was so focused on the scene at hand that he seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Are you alright?"

I laughed nervously; the shakes hadn't completely left me yet, "Eheh, y-yeah. Not doin' too bad. Hehe, almost became…"

"A trainer pancake, I know."

I side glanced him.

"Dude!" Terrance screeched to a halt beside him. "You were like…! That was like…! It was just…!"

I smiled, and offered, "Totally wicked, right?"

"Totally wicked!" he echoed a couple notches louder than me. "And this guy was soo cool!" he said, focusing in on Hyle. "You were all, like, slash-slash, buhbam-buhbam! And then you smashed your head right onto the—whoaaa!"

"Speaking of your head," I turned back to Hyle, "how's yours feeling?"

He snorted in discomfort and rubbed the immerging lump on his skull, flinching as another jolt of electricity sparked off his skin.

"Oh," I was immediately at his side, arms up at the ready. He remained standing, but cringed. I smiled weakly, "Recoil damage is a pain, eh?" he snorted an affirmative.

Again I hadn't noticed it, but Piper and Marie appeared before us. Piper frowned, and put her hands on her hips. "You are a meanie and everything, but I think Marie wants to heal you too."

With a bright smile, the Audino waddled close to Hyle and held out her paws. With a half reluctant pause, Hyle joined hands with her, and with another glow of pink light, his wounds had been mostly healed.

Marie staggered back a bit, and brought her hand to her brow.

"Whoa! Marie, are you okay?" Piper gasped, coming instantly to her side. The Audino nodded, and showed a smile, but she appeared drained after offering so many Heal Pulses in succession.

"Ah…" I began. "Hyle is still paralyzed, but I don't want to force you to use Refresh if you're not feeling up to it… Marie."

"It's alright," Elesa cut in, rooting through her pockets. "I just happen to have a prize for our winner. Here you are," she presented a Cheri berry to Hyle, and with a wide and fanged smile, he gratefully took it.

"Hey…"

I turned to N, "Will Marie be okay?"

His look softened, "She wants to do her best to make everyone happy. It is her choice to do as she wishes. Pokémon do drain there energy when using moves, but after a short rest she should be fine."

"Hey…!"

I smiled in relief, "I guess that's good," and chuckled, "a lot of us sure are getting beat up today…"

"Hey!"

"That's the life of a Pokémon Trainer," Elesa agreed with a nod.

"I SAID HEY!"

All of us turned to Terrance. His eyes were still filled with determination and awe, his fists clenched, and face flushed from shouting. "I want… I want to battle you too!" he burst.

"…battle?" I echoed dumbly. My brow scrunched, "But you don't have a Pokémon."

"I do to!" he said, lifting Alphonse off his head and presenting him to me.

"Uhh," N and I shared a look. "I'm not sure it's such a good idea that you fight with Alphonse," I said gently as I could.

He frowned, "Why not?"

"Because, well," I scratched my head, "Alphonse isn't your average, run of the mill Pokémon you know. He's a legendary, and legendary Pokémon are a lot stronger than the average one. You saw what he did to the ship in Castelia city."

"But there aren't any boats around here…"

I stared at him.

"I don't believe that you are ready to fight with the kind of power which Alphonse possesses," N spoke up, breaking what was about to be an eternal silence. "You aren't experienced enough to fight beside him."

"What!?" Terrance barked. N's cold and indifferent tone—which I couldn't tell if intentional or not—had apparently struck a sore spot. "You don't know that! Just because I've never had a Pokémon battle before doesn't mean I couldn't do it!"

"Whether you've battled before or not is irrelevant," N returned without batting an eyelash, "Alphonse's power is too great for a child—"

"Oh yeah!?" Terrance shouted before N could go any further. "Well, I challenge you! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! I bet I can fight with Alphonse and I bet I can beat you too!"

"Uhh, hey now…" I put up my hands meekly, "there's… no need to fight, guys. Ehehe, I'm sure we could discuss this like civilized…"

"Alright." N said briskly. My hands immediately dropped. "Your challenge is accepted."

Terrance smirked cockily, "Well then, Alphonse and I are going to prepare. You better start praying." He grabbed the Victini by the hand and the two of them scuttled off to the other side of the arena.

Elesa sighed, "Things certainly are getting lively today. However, I'm bushed. Piper, sweetie, how about we take a breather on the bleachers?"

"Okay!" was her chipper response, "Let's go, Marie," and the three of them strolled off.

"What did you go and do that for?" I turned to N, who remained expressionless. "Terrance has never even battled before."

"That is exactly why I am doing this," N responded matter-of-factly. "He knows nothing of Pokémon, or Pokémon battles. Even if he battles with Alphonse, he'll be fighting alone if his motives are only his own. As he is now, I can see he only wishes to use Alphonse as one would a tool."

"Is that… so," I shrugged, smile forming. "I think he just wants to prove to you that he's not just some weak kid."

N's eyes narrowed, "Using external power to do that makes him even more weak."

I sighed, "Well, this is your choice. Just… don't go too hard on him." N didn't respond to that, but remained aloof as he stared almost unblinkingly at the other side of the arena.

A smile had trouble coming to my face, but I left him with a, "Good luck…" and Hyle and I headed back over to the bleachers.

* * *

><p>"Alright Alphonse, this is what we're going to do," Terrance held the Victini at arm's length. It only blinked at him. "We're going to battle N. Okay?" Its ears twitched and it tilted its head with a fanged smile.<p>

"You think you can beat him?" I asked, arms folded. Terrance nearly leapt out of his skin.

"Uh! What? I mean, yeah! Yeah! Of course I can beat him!"

"He's a pretty tough customer…"

Terrance held Alphonse closer, and looked up at me uncertainly. "…Is he even stronger than a Gym Leader?"

I sucked in a breath, "Way stronger. Though, you might be lucky, maybe he'll go easy on you. He's not exactly at his strongest right now, I mean, his Pokémon aren't up to the same level they were when I last fought him… but I don't doubt he could put up more than a decent fight with any Pokémon he had."

"I don't want him to go easy on me!" All his uncertainty vanished as soon as it had appeared. "I don't want him to treat me like I'm just some dumb kid! I can do anything he can!"

I sighed. I guess there was no talking him out of this. "Alright, fine. But since this is your very first Pokémon battle, I'm here to offer you a bit of guidance… if you'll accept it."

"Okay, what?"

"You do know what type of Pokémon Alphonse is?"

He blinked, and looked at the Victini from the corner of his eye. "Uhh, yeah."

"Then what type is he?"

"Uhh… F… Fire type?"

"Half points." I deadpanned.

"He's a dual type!?"

I blinked, thinking that Terrance would be beyond lucky if N didn't one shot him. "He's a psychic and a fire type. He's weak to rock attacks, ground attacks, water, and because of the psychic typing, he's weak to dark types. I think he's weak to ghosts too… uhh… anyway, dark types are a tricky one because most all psychic moves are completely ineffective against them."

"What!?" His jaw dropped. "Wha… Why!?"

I shrugged, "Laws of the universe I guess."

Terrance's brow furrowed, and he held Alphonse closer. The Victini blinked up at him, ears again twitching. "I don't care. I have to do this."

I frowned lopsidedly. Well, maybe N would be easy on him and not use Laika. Even then, Alphonse was packing a lot of power. I just hoped they wouldn't burn the whole base to a cinder in the process.

"Alright then, are you ready?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He looked determinedly forward. "Yeah!"

* * *

><p>N was already waiting on the opposite side of the field when Terrance took his place. I was beside the young fighter just to help him out if anything went wrong, which it very well could.<p>

"What's wrong?" Terrance asked haughtily. Alphonse was already fluttering and glowing in red on his side of the field. "Where's your Pokémon?"

N was standing alone, and as usual, his expression was hard to read. His eyes hovered over all of his Pokémon which were already released: Marie with Piper, Anya seated beside Elesa on the bleachers, and… Laika? I looked for the Zoroark and managed to spot her in the shadows in one corner of the room. So that's where she'd been hiding. When she thought N had need of her assistance, she partially immerged from the darkness.

N noticed her, and smiled. Instead of calling for her, he showed her a kind of nod and turned toward the bleachers. "Anya, if you would like, shall we fight together?" and held out an inviting hand.

The Archen blinked. After a moment of apparent reflection, Anya cawed in agreement and zipped over to N's side of the arena. She stood in front of him and viewed her adversaries with a sudden determined readiness.

"He's not using Laika…" Terrance mused.

"You still have a disadvantage because of Anya's rock typing," I noted, analyzing the opposite fighters.

N looked up at us and spread his arms in a familiar gesture, "Well, if you're ready."

"Y-yeah! You bet I am!" Terrance's resolute tone drew attention away from the slight faltering of his voice. Alphonse began to glow ever brighter with the power of fire.

"So…" I murmured, wondering what kind of moves Alphonse would know at his current level. Actually… what was Alphonse's current level?

"_I want to use Incinerate_!"

Terrance and I both started and shared a look.

"Did you hear that?" he asked me.

I met his eyes for a moment, but looked quickly back to the Victini. Alphonse looked at us from over his shoulder. "Telepathy…" I whispered.

"Huh?"

I shook my head, coming back to reality. "That was Alphonse's voice," I told Terrance. "He's telling you what he wants to do."

"Oh! I didn't know he could do that!"

"Me either." I shrugged.

Terrance looked back to Alphonse to see him smiling over his shoulder. "Then if that's what you want to do, use Incinerate!"

N did nothing as the stream of flame released by Alphonse came toward Anya. The Archen, however, reacted on her own accord. I caught her giving N a quick glance, and immediately following that, spread her wings and beat them madly. The gust she created parted Alphonse's attack, and while it could not stop it altogether, and the fires still did lick against her, the damage was more than halved.

Terrance ground his teeth, "Are you not gonna attack or what!?"

N and Anya remained staring.

"Fine then!" he spat. Terrance looked at the Victini desperately, perhaps internally asking him what he wanted to do.

While Alphonse frowned, he still looked determined. "_Uh… I want to… I want to use Quick Attack_!"

"Do it!"

Alphonse followed the vocal prompt and shot at Anya almost faster than we could follow. Anya immediately curled her wings around her body as a meager form of protection, and let the attack hit her. The strike pushed her backward, but she kept her claws dug into the ground and did not topple. N still said nothing, but his eyes were closed, and he appeared to be focusing on a sound, I assumed.

"Incinerate again!" Terrance shouted before Alphonse had the time to reflect on picking another move. In the heat of the moment, the Victini followed the command.

I thought I'd saw N's lips move in one syllable, and just as the attack was about to hit Anya, she rolled out of the way, heat catching on her scaly body, and darted toward Alphonse. With ground movements quick and agile, she came beneath him and uppercutted him with a Wing Attack. The Victini squealed and tumbled backward through the air.

I gasped at the suddenness of it all.

"Uoh! Alphonse! Are you okay!?" Terrance gasped.

The Victini steadied himself before he could spin out of control, paused a moment to rub the bottom of his rounded jaw, then nodded resolutely. His eyes were on nothing but his opponent. The same could be said for N as he watched all from under the brim of his hat.

A scarlet flame was building brighter around Alphonse, glittering off him like dust. "_I want it to get hot_!"

"Huh?" Terrance and I both said at once.

"_I want it to get hotter_!" the telepathic voice repeated louder. "_I want to burn! I want to use Flame Charge_!"

Terrance hesitated a moment, realizing he had not the time to gauge the consequences of a move he didn't know and had never used. In the end, he said, "Alright! Flame Charge!" and put his trust in Alphonse.

The light around the Victini grew brighter and brighter. His fangs bared, ears twitched rapidly, and the wings on his lower back fluttered like a moths.

"Anya, Double Team!" N shouted just in time. Alphonse charged toward Anya as she quickly made three duplicates of herself. The cape of fire that followed the Victini descended upon them. The three of them were hit with a burst of flame, and stumbled backward. Anya's clones had appeared to have taken more damage then she had, but she rolled to an unpleasant looking stop.

N gasped, "Anya, are you alright!?" the Archen staggered back to her feet, fanning the cinders off her feathers. She crowed through bared teeth, her eyes now completely different from the oblivious and shy bird we'd earlier met. N looked relieved at whatever words she'd said.

Alphonse, with flame dimming only slightly, came back to our side.

"Whoa…" Terrance gulped, as if now realizing the power he had possession of.

"Yeah, wow," I echoed flatly, pulling at the collar of my shirt. It was getting hot in here.

"I see…" N said, looking back toward us with eyes agleam. "Let me here more!" he declared, spreading his arms.

Terrance blinked, "Huh? More of what?"

"The voices of your hearts! I wish to hear more!" N declared with a wave of his hand, like a mad conductor, and Anya followed the motions.

"Uuaah! Al-Alphonse! Get out of the way!" however, Terrance's cry had not been fast enough, and the Victini was hit again by Anya's wing, and this time much harder than before. Alphonse went tumbling backward and I cringed as he hit the ground.

"Al! Oh no," I grabbed Terrance's shoulder before he could run out to his Pokémon, and he looked up at me in shocked question.

I smiled weakly, "Believe me when I tell you it's not wise to get in between fighting Pokémon."

"But we're losing!"

A cry was heard as Alphonse was struck backward by a Quick Attack. Anya hopped back after her work, and smiled confidently, flaring her feathers and scales. N echoed her look.

Terrance looked toward the battlefield in desperation, biting down on his thumb, "How can he give her orders when he doesn't even say anything…? Maybe… he really can hear Pokémon's voices…"

His musings were interrupted as Alphonse recovered himself. The heat returned and began to grow and grow as Alphonse took back to the air. _It hurts!_

Terrance and I both started.

_I don't like it to hurt!_ Alphonse's telepathic voice was lowering to an ominous growl. The flames were building, and the cavern was dyeing in red. _I want it to burn! I want to use Searing Shot! Now! Now!_

"Uh… uh, okay! Use Searing Shot!"

I gasped, "Whoa—wait!"

But I hadn't been fast enough.

Flame and heat erupted from the little Victini like a geyser, streaming off him in branches, so red and ablaze that they darkened his form into a black core. I grabbed onto Terrance and shielded him with my body from the fires, but luckily Alphonse appeared to be in some form of control, and the streams of flame didn't directly hit Terrance or I. The same couldn't exactly be said for the cinders and the heat but they were mostly harmless.

We had but a moment to witness this power. He blasted forth toward his adversaries.

"Anya!"

There was a deafening crash of stone and flame, and a blast of wind tore past us. I closed my eyes, turned away in protection and shielded Terrance with my body. _Whoosh!_ The wind suddenly died in a breath, and all sound deafened.

After a pause, Terrance pulled himself from my grip and we turned around to see what exactly had happened. A large crater had been burst on the far wall of N's side of the field. At first I couldn't see him, and my heart leapt to my throat when I thought he'd been caught up in the blast, but then I saw the air shimmer.

Laika stood just to the left of the hole, a shield of rippling energy held before her arms. She lowered them, and the shield dropped. N rose behind her, dusting off his clothes rather casually from the small bits of debris that has caught him. He smiled warmly, and I heard him thank her.

"W-what happened to Al?" Terrance said shakily.

I gasped as I saw a speck of red in the crater, and pointed, "There!"

Alphonse's head was stuck right in the very center of the blast site.

N gasped, "Oh no! Alphonse!" and immediately rushed to the Vicitni, and carefully tried to dig and pry his head out from the rock. The dirt must have been softened from the heat, for after some slight digging, the Victini's head was unearthed.

Alphonse puttered backward clumsily, shaking his head and spitting up dirt. N looked relived, and brought up his hands to assist the Victini just in case. "Are you alright? You're unharmed? What a powerful attack! I think you may have caused a bit of destruction…" and he laughed good naturedly.

"Hey!" Terrance burst. "What are you doing over there! You're not supposed to be helping Alphonse! He's your enemy!"

N looked aghast, "Alphonse is not my enemy!"

There was a pause.

"…Should you really be helping the opponent though?" I deadpanned. I guess there wasn't such a thing as being 'too selfless' for N where a Pokémon was concerned.

"Oh…" he said lamely. "I suppose you are correct. Shall we finish this battle then?"

Terrance immediately scrambled to his feet and raised himself to full height. "Let's do it!"

N turned to Alphonse with a gentle smile, "Shall we?"

The Victini blinked with its round and glossy eyes, and nodded. N offered a guiding push and Alphonse fluttered back to our side of the field.

"Anya? It's safe to come out now."

The Archen burst from the earth, and shook the dirt from her feathers and scales. So that's where she'd been hiding. I had almost feared she'd been burnt to a crisp…

"Terrance," N called. "Shall we finish this match with a final attack?" he showed a small smile, "I fear we may end up causing more destruction than intended if this battle were to continue any further…"

Terrance kept his posture, and only stared at N. He then looked to the Victini. "Are you alright, Alphonse?" his voice was small. Hearing this tone, the Victini glanced questioningly, and Terrance looked away. "It's… okay if you don't want to fight. You don't have to do anything you don't want to," he pulled nervously on his fingers, and eyes descended.

"_It's okay_!"

Our eyes darted to Alphonse, and he was smiling.

"_My body is strong! If I'm strong, I want to protect others from getting hurt!" _He squeaked, "_You and I are friends so I want to protect you_!"

I'd never seen Terrance look so shocked before. His hands flung to his eyes and he began to rub them. "O-okay! Okay!" he sniffled and looked up at Alphonse with eyes bright and shining. "What do you want to do, Al!?"

The Victini showed a fanged smile. "_Let's use Confusion_!"

"Do it, Alphonse!"

"Anya," N smiled at her, and spread his arms. "You know what do to." She nodded determinedly and rushed at the Victini.

As she got in the close, the air quickly distorted and shimmered pink around Alphonse as he raised his hands. A wave of that rosy energy rippled from Alphonse's head, right toward Anya, who was fast closing in. The waves of that energy caused her feathers to tremble and split at their edges, but Anya kept going forward. She opened her jaw wide, showing fanged teeth, and they began to glow in a dark energy. The waves of Alphonse's attack seemed to break against that darkness like waves against a shore, and she tore through it. She bit onto Alphonse with a hard-hitting Crunch attack, and that was all it took to end the battle.

"Alphonse!" Terrance ran out into the field, and I didn't stop him. He was just in time to catch Alphonse before the ground did. Terrance cradled him, "Al, are you okay?" The Victini opened his eyes a fraction and showed a weak smile, which reflected onto Terrance.

It was then that N approached. Anya had perched on his shoulder. When he drew near, Terrance kept his eyes downward. I joined them as well.

N smiled, "Um… I enjoyed battling with you, Terrance. I heard the voices of your hearts as we fought… and I believe that I was able to understand you better." His smile slightly faded, "You battled well, and I believe that you were able to learn more about yourself and about Alphonse, and I felt a connection form between the both of you. You were… um, a very good opponent."

"You…" Terrance spoke before a silence could settle. His eyes were down. "You… you really can understand Pokémon, can't you? Like, you really _can_ hear their voices…"

N tilted his head slightly.

"You and Touko… you're both really strong Pokémon trainers," he held Alphonse closer. "And that's… that's why…"

"Terrance," I began, "we can hardly hear…"

"I THINK YOU CAN DO IT!" he burst, and N and I both jumped.

"I… I believe in you!" he shouted, eyes shining, face growing redder by the second. He lowered and controlled his voice slightly. "I've never had a Pokémon battle before in my life… but I really had a lot of fun too. I've… never been with Pokémon before, but when I'm with Alphonse, and Hyle, and Anya and Marie… I feel happy…" he rubbed the corner of his eye again. "And I keep seeing them… and they keep doing so many amazing things! Pokémon are just so awesome!" he couldn't stop all his tears with only one hand, and Alphonse in his other arm reached up to try and catch those that fell.

"That's why… That's why I think you can do it!" he looked at us desperately. "You and Touko both will! You guys… you guys _will _bring people and Pokémon back together so that everyone can feel this amazing feeling! You definitely will! You definitely will!" he shouted even louder.

I turned to N, and he looked at me, and we must have been the mirror image of utter shock. I couldn't describe what I was feeling… but it felt nice… and one look at N told me he felt it too.

"And… and when you do… I challenge you!" Terrance blurt once more. "When Pokémon and people come back together again, I'm going to go on my own Pokémon journey, catch my own Pokémon, train them, beat the gym leaders, and become the very best! And when I do… I'll challenge you to another fight—and I'll beat you!" I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears.

After an outburst like that, it was like a bomb had dropped. The aftermath of silence was broken by one of the hugest smiles I'd ever seen N show.

N held his hand out to him, "Then, I will await that day, and I promise I will remember."

Terrance echoed the look, the flush on his face decreasing only slightly. He took N's hand, and they shook both firmly and resolutely. When their grasp was broken, the flush returned.

"Well yeah," he cleared his throat. "Y-you better not forget! If you do I'll kick your ass!" and with that parting comment, Terrance retreated with Alphonse toward the bleachers and the peanut gallery to have Marie heal him. I watched as our little audience surrounded him. I heard the odd word…

"That was amazing! Terrance, you were awesome!"

"You did pretty good for your first battle!"

My heart felt really warm.

"Human children are interesting creatures," N said beside me.

I stifled a laugh, "Sounds a bit creepy when you say it like that though." He tilted his head slightly, and my smile only grew. "You were a human child once yourself, you know."

All expression faded from his face, and he looked back to the scene at hand, at a distance, observing. "Yes…" he mused as if it were a fact he'd forgotten. "But… Terrance and Piper grew up in a different world than I did. Our circumstances differ… but in many ways we are the same. When I was younger I always had my friends—Pokémon—by my side… and I was never truly alone. But… in that city… Terrance and Piper only had each other." He looked downward and pressed his lips together. "That's why I thought that they would be so lonely if they were to remain there. That's why… when I saw them… I wanted to bring them back with us. I thought that if they had a friend too… then I could give them some form of happiness."

N turned to me, deep emotions breaking the surface of his expression, and they seeped into his voice, "Does that make me selfish?"

I didn't, or rather, couldn't respond at first… for a number of reasons. In the end, I smirked and looked back to the scene. "Well…" Alphonse had already been rejuvenated, and he fluttered above the children's head as they reached for him. They were all laughing. "They look pretty happy to me…"

* * *

><p>Because of the rather lively day that we had had, all four of us were eager for a good night's sleep. Since there wasn't a lot of room in the base to begin with, Terrance and Piper were to room with N and I. Though, this turned out to be a pretty good arrangement because there were two bunk beds in our small, metal room. Up until Terrance and Piper had arrived, I'd taken the bottom on one, and N had taken the top on the other. Terrance and Piper had just filled in the empty spaces.<p>

There was only one small problem we had.

In the middle of the night I was awoken by the sound of crying.

I remained motionless and stared at the bottom of Piper's bunk which almost seemed to loom over me like the door of a coffin, and it looked even more uncomfortable in the dark. I blinked a few times and the faint outlines of objects became more visible.

The crying stopped. I held my breath and just as my lungs began to hurt… it came again.

I closed my eyes as a small headache started to grow. _I guess this isn't a dream after all. _I bit down on my lip. What should I do? She couldn't have been crying; I must have been hearing things. I couldn't understand why. The girl who'd been smiling so brightly today, laughing and playing with all of us… She had been so happy… she'd looked so happy…

As it continued, the weight on my chest became too much to bear.

"Piper," I said in a whisper, peeking over the top of her bunk. Her back was toward me, and Alphonse was fluttering uncertainly just over her head. The Victini and I shared a worried glance. "Piper," I said again, "what's wrong?"

It looked like she shook her head.

I paused, thinking of what to do. I tried to sound as gentle as possible, "Do you want to talk to me about it?" She did nothing. Well, at least that wasn't a negative response. I tried to put a smile into my voice. "Come now, you'll feel better if you talk it out with me."

Her head seemed to move toward Alphonse, and the Victini nodded with another fanged smile. The smile on my face, however, became so much harder to hold when she turned to look at me. Red eyes and tear stains was what I saw.

I'd managed to settle her on the edge of my bed and got a glass of water for her. She remained seated, took it, and sipped sparingly at it. I sat beside her and twiddled my thumbs as Alphonse fluttered around us, never staying in one spot too long, hardly glowing.

I scratched my head which was pounding less now that I'd woken up more, though I had to wonder what time it was. It was either really, really early or really, really late.

Neither one of us spoke. I was a bit too afraid to ask her anything, and perhaps she was feeling the same with telling me anything, or maybe she just didn't want to. The upside was that I'd managed to stop her crying, but just as I'd thought this…

The half empty glass of water nearly dropped to the ground—and would of if Alphonse hadn't grabbed it—and she threw her face in her hands with another loud sob. I bit my tongue, arms half lifting on impulse, eyes darting to the bunk opposite to see the sleepers stirring.

"Piper…" I said again, voice slipping out of a whisper with a faint twinge of panic. "What's…" before I could get another word out, she threw herself into my arms and the floodgates crumbled away. I was numbed. My body immediately stiffened at the suddenness of it all, but after a gradual moment, I offered some kind of returned embrace. My arms were simply around her.

"Uggh," Terrance pulled himself up, "what's goin…" and froze when he saw Piper and I. He looked shocked, but expectantly so. I showed him a lopsided and awkward smile. This hadn't been the first time something like this had happened. Often times since their arrival here, I would be awoken in the middle of the night to hear Piper trying to cry silently above me. I would lay there, pretending to sleep but being beyond unable to, until Terrance crawled up beside her to soothe her and put her back to sleep.

As far as I could be sure, N was a pretty deep sleeper and never really knew what was going on, but if he didn't know then, he sure knew now.

He almost immediately knew something was wrong, though it wasn't really hard to tell. "What's the matter?" and there was a fear and distress seeping into his voice, just like to was doing to my heart.

Piper only cried louder and held to me tighter. At the time, words just seemed so useless, for explaining, for comfort, for sadness. The things I could think of just seemed so small, and even in my head they were weak and quiet. Everyone else seemed to think the same.

I stroked her hair, eyes kept on the far wall as I zoned out into my thoughts in search of an answer.

In the end I was only able to mutter her name, "Piper…"

And that was all it took.

"I wanna go home…!"

It felt like another bomb had fallen. When my lungs began to hurt, I realized I'd stopped breathing.

"I miss mommy and daddy… and I… I wanna go home…!" she was trembling as she clung to me.

I guess as some kind of desperation reflex, I turned to N. He had been surprisingly good at consoling Terrance and Piper few times before, but the look in his eyes made it seem like someone had punched through his chest, and it was all shown in his eyes. There were no more words.

I couldn't move the earth. I couldn't turn back time. I wasn't a champion. Yet, I understood the pain in her heart, and all my feeble hands could do to help her was to hold onto her tighter, and hope that she could feel the life near her.

Time continued to tick by and her tears would not run dry, but her sobs grew quieter, and she held to me less tightly and less desperately.

"Your parents… aren't gone," my throat somehow unknotted. Piper immediately pulled away and looked up at me, her eyes red, swollen, and desperate. A gentle smile came to my face, and I put my hand on her head. "Right now, I think… that your parents are in a place that you or I can't really reach right now…"

"Where!?" she blurted.

I looked up to the rocky ceiling supported by the crisscrossing beams of iron. "Somewhere far away. Somewhere beyond the clouds, and the stars, and the planets… and even further away than that. Somewhere beyond space, where time can't even reach. Because you and I are all the way down here," my eyes fell to her again, smiling, "we can't see them, or touch them, or hear them. But, you know what part of us can reach them?"

Her eyes were shining, "What part?"

"Your heart." I answered simply. She only blinked. "Feelings are really amazing things you know. They're like sound, or the wind, and they can exist and go places without you really seeing them, but you know they exist because you can feel them, right?"

She nodded vigorously.

"But the thing that makes emotions special, is that they can go places that wind or any sound can never reach. When you're with someone, or when you talk to someone and spend a lot of time with someone, even if you can't really see it… you form a connection with them. And even if that person is somewhere where you can't see, and even if they're gone… those connections are still there." I looked up again, and she followed my gaze as if the whole cosmos opened up above us. "And those connections can pass the clouds, and the sky, and the stars, and all of space… and it can reach them," I poked her little nose, "all the way down from where you are."

She clasped her hands over her nose, eyes impossibly wide.

"So, if you're happy, they'll be able to know, and they'll become happy too! But if you're sad…" I stuck out my bottom lip, "then they'll start to worry about you. Or…!" I brought up a finger, "if you're angry they'll want to beat up the one who made you angry in the first place!"

She looked downward thoughtfully, rubbing the tear stains off her face, nodding.

"I think if you're really happy… then your parents will be really happy too. I felt really happy when I saw you, Marie, Alphonse, and everyone smiling and laughing today."

"You did!?"

"Of course," I nodded, "because happiness is something that spreads, because it can reach anywhere and to anyone. You have a lot of friends here, Piper. You have people here that will do anything for you. You've got me, Elesa, Marie, Alphonse, Hyle, Laika, Anya, Terrance of course, Bianca, Professor Juniper, hey, haha, I'm running out of fingers to count on!"

She giggled in response.

"And…" I put a finger to my lips and scrunched my eyebrows. "I think there's someone I'm forgetting in that list. Hmm, who could it be…? I think it was someone important…" my eyes darted everywhere in the room but where he was standing.

"N!" Piper laughed, raising her arms.

"Riiight! How could I forget?" I flashed him a smile, but the look on his face was truly indescribable. "Are you feeling better?" I asked her, noticing the smile on her face. She nodded.

"It will always be a little bit sad…" she admitted. "But I'm happy here with all of you, because you're all nice people. It's way, way, way better than living on those smelly streets. And… anyway, I'm happy because you and N feel like my family too!"

A sudden warmth in my chest made me break out into a smile so wide that my cheeks began to hurt.

I ruffled her hair. "I'm… glad to hear that, Piper. What matters most is that the both of you are happy," I took a breath, "Now that's all sorted how about we all go back to bed?" and stifled a yawn.

"Alright," Terrance said, and I looked over just in time to see a smile on his face as he tucked into bed.

"Um…" I looked down to see Piper tugging on my shirt. "Can… I sleep with you?"

"Of course you can, sweetheart." I glanced back to N as I pulled the covers back and Alphonse and Piper were already snuggling in. "What's up? You're not going to stand there all night, are you?"

He started, blinking rapidly. "Uh… um. N-no…"

"Well then," I gestured to his bunk. "Good night."

"Uh… yes…" he made his way slowly back up to his bunk, and all the while, after nearly every motion, looked back to Piper and I with the widest eyes I'd ever seen.

* * *

><p>"It's alright if you take kitchen duty this afternoon, right?" Bianca asked me the next day, shuffling through the papers she had.<p>

"A clipboard would help with that," I noted absently, leaning against the wall of the hallway. If she dropped one here, who knew where it would end up.

"Whuh? Oh, y-yeah. I've been meaning to grab one," she rubbed the back of her head innocently.

I had to smirk, "Yeah. I'll take kitchen duty this afternoon. Not like I have anything better to do, besides maybe sparring a bit or showing more of my Pokémon to Terrance and Piper."

"Oh, yes, alright." She placed the schedule on the wall and began to write on it. "I heard Terrance had a battle with N yesterday. That must have been fun!"

"Heh, yeaah," I murmured, avoiding any details like Alphonse nearly blowing the arena into a crisp. "Certainly was… interesting."

Bianca looked up from her paper a moment, and her eyes widened a fraction. "Oh my, how coincidental!"

I blinked, and she pointed. I turned to see N farther off down the hall.

"I think he must want to talk to you," Bianca noted. I, too, could discern that from the purpose of his step, and because his eyes were focused right on me. "I'll leave you to it!" she bubbled, turned on her heel and started off.

"Touko!"

I turned to meet him. He'd covered a bit of distance in a short time. "Yeah, what's up?"

He grabbed on to my wrist, breathing slightly labored, "I've been… looking for you…"

I cocked my head, "Uhh, yeah? Is something wrong?" a small spark of panic fluttered in my stomach, but I refused to jump to conclusions before he'd even said anything.

"Touko…" his hand gripped a bit tighter. Then, he suddenly burst, "What you did last night was amazing!"

The echo of his voice faded. I slowly turned around to see Bianca not too far off down the hall. She looked at us from over her shoulder, and her face flushed brilliant red. She caught my look, started, and bounded off down the hallway.

I turned back to N and deadpanned, "You know… that sounds kind of weird out of context." I was going to have to explain that to Bianca later.

He blinked a moment of confusion, but decided not to pursue the thought. "Touko… last night you…"

I tilted my head, "You mean what I said to Piper?

His hand held tighter, and he refused to look into my eyes. "You were able to soothe her soul… to calm her heart so easily… so effortlessly…"

"Well," I shrugged modestly, "It wasn't as easy as it looked. I guess you really have to pick and choose your words in that kind of situation. But, I dunno." I shrugged again, "I just… kind of understood what it was like to feel like you're all alone, you know? Once I thought about how I felt, the words just kinda," I tried to make some kind of gesture," flowed, ya know?" I looked at the wall and almost lost myself in thought. I only pulled myself back before I could completely zone out because of N's lack of comment. When I turned to him he was watching me, looking nothing less than engrossed in what I said, and looked eager for more.

"That truly is amazing…" he finally said.

"You're giving me too much praise…"

"I'm not!" he insisted, tugging on my arm. His eyes fell back down to his feet, and he eased a little. "I… I would never have been able… to do something like that. Not the way you did… not so naturally. I don't believe that I fully can understand how the human heart works, or how it is to be soothed when damaged… I don't…" he shook his head. "Pokémon are different. I've been around them all of my life, so I can understand them better than I can for even myself. Their voices are so clear to me… but humans are another formula all together. There are so many unknowns, so many possible outcomes. If you misstep even once, make even the smallest mistake, then it could only end up hurting someone… and create a damage beyond repair…"

I paused, and let all of what he said sink in. He didn't look back up to me, but he hadn't let go of my wrist. His cheeks had colored, his eyes moved back and forth, and I could have just sworn I'd heard the gears grinding away in his head.

"You know…" I brought my hand to his. "The hearts of Pokémon and people aren't really as different as you think they are. Both of us can be happy, and both of us can be sad too. Those emotions can spread to everyone. All of us feel some kind of emotions… even if they can be really different from what other people feel. I just… when I was all alone… and felt like there was nothing… it made me feel better to know that there was someone beside me."

N blinked in surprise.

I looked up to him, "When people and Pokémon are sad, you know. I think what speaks the loudest is showing them that they're not alone… and that they have friends… or someone who cares about them. Even then… even then the worst of sadness really doesn't seem so bad."

For the first time during this talk, N and I looked at each other. We really looked at each other. We hardly blinked, we hardly breathed, and, I think, everything we saw in each other's eyes spoke louder than words ever could. It was a rare and a special instance, and like all similar times, it didn't last long.

"Ah! Touko! There you are!"

I nearly leapt from my skin, and turned around to see my mother standing there.

"Just in time!" she took my arm, invariably separating me from N. "I could use some help with the laundry if it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

"Uh, yeah. Okay, mom. I'll catch up with you in a moment…"

"Righto!" she, too, spun on her heel and headed off. I think she perhaps understood the kind of moment she'd interrupted, but I was thankful for her not wanting to pry.

Before I followed her, I approached N and took his hand. With a voice barely above a whisper, "I know you could do it too, N." With one last squeeze of his hand, I left him there with his thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<br>**Please, enjoy these chapters while they last.


	21. STARGAZER

**Author's Note: **Today we'll be taking a little break from the regular formula. This whole chapter, even bits with Touko, is written in third person.

* * *

><p><strong>I.<strong> (_the train song. _Prologue)

All that could be heard in the deepest and emptiest place of the rebel base was the clacking of a keyboard. N sat in near darkness, face lit eerily by the glaring monitor of a computer. How long had it last been since he'd taken a break, or had a bite to eat? Three hours? Five? He wasn't exactly sure, but he was so immersed in his work that thoughts like that, and the faint aching of his stomach, seemed hardly trivial.

Work? More accurately it was research. Within this cave, the abandoned king spent his days learning about the world he'd helped create. There were few times when residents of the base would come and ask him to play, and when they'd ask he would oblige. They were short and pleasant breaks from this monotonous, and often unfulfilling routine, so why not indulge for a little while. But despite that N knew that fun and games could not last for long. He couldn't allow himself to let his edge dull, especially when the dogs of war were breathing down their necks.

That's why he sought the answers. Lay it all out and it was just like a game of chess. N wanted to know how his opponent was going to move, and the quickest way to do that was to understand how we'd come to this place, and how his opponent thought of moving the pieces next.

The biggest clue and the biggest enigma were the iron factories. N approached this as he did almost all other things: with a mind sharp as a blade. Always questioning, always digging deeper, always seeking answers. It didn't matter if the truth wasn't pretty. What mattered was knowledge, and he used all that he could find, even if there were only puzzle pieces at this point.

He'd been unable to shake the feeling since first setting eyes upon the Dream Factories. How do they work? How do they breathe? What makes them tick? What does it take to make it die? Asking questions like these had been second nature to N. Even when he was much younger he sought to ask them in regards to all things. It was how he found knowledge. Knowledge was ground, stability, was how one made sense of the world.

What was the world without knowledge?

Fennel, a professor who had worked within the factories, had given him the information she had. That laid down the basics, but the information was nothing more than text book run down of the factory's basic workings. It was a light nibble, not the real meat he was looking for.

It was a little bit painful looking deeper. The Dream Factories did live off the lives of his friends, after all. It used their breaths to breathe, circulated their blood into its cold body, kept their hearts pumping past expiry, and resonated with chugging pistons. It exhaled toxic breath to blissfully unaware world.

To think how his friends suffered caused him pause. It was a horror hard to comprehend, but this was something N didn't want to think about. This was knowledge he'd rather not have. Too much knowledge… hurt sometimes. He had experienced it before. The more you thought about these things, the darker everything seemed to become. He had to tread cautiously into these questions, this search for answers. But N couldn't let himself be dragged into the darkness he was investigating. Not a second time. Stay afloat in your quest for knowledge. That was easier said than done, but as he dug, he unearthed.

There was an interesting file he had found in the Dream Factory in Striaton City. He had not forgotten, but, then again… how could he? PROJECT: G. The infamous name was a black spot in his memory. The G in the title stood for the name "Genesect", N knew it all too well, for it was Team Plasma who had revived the creature from dirt and stone. With their technology and their machines they had changed stone to iron, bones to metal, and blood to wire. Their intention was to create a Pokémon stronger than any nature had ever birthed. They enhanced that life to the level of god.

But that wasn't what the project was supposed to be. The scientists weren't supposed to go that far, and once N heard word of their disobeyance, he cancelled the Genesect program as fast as he could. Pokémon are already perfect beings as they are. If modified by human technology, then they will suffer the loss of their beauty and perfection, and become as corrupt and tainted as man. Such was N's philosophy. Ever since he'd given word to close the project, he had assumed that it had ended and Genesect had been set free or regretfully terminated.

After seeing the file in Striaton City, N had now come to think otherwise. Apparently in his absence, or maybe it was far before that, Ghetsis had restarted the Genesect Project. But why? The questions had wormed its way into his head, and even if it was suppressed at times, the thought would always rise back to the surface. Genesect was the queen; how was his opponent planning to move it? Right now, it was clearly being kept safely at the back, far behind the pawns, for N found no more information on it, not even the slightest speck.

It was dark, but he had to keep digging. And that is what he did in this quiet and lonely place.

The former king had not the slightest clue that he was being watched. With eyes fixed on her victim, Piper peeked through the door, unseen. "Are you ready?" she asked quietly to Alphonse, who was floating by her side. The little fireball grinned with a resolute nod. Piper echoed his mischievous smile, "Go!"

Without another word, Alphonse quietly fluttered into N's room, using the small wings on his lower back to keep afloat. Alphonse came closer and closer to the oblivious victim, while Piper watched from the doorway with bated breath.

N stopped typing, and Alphonse immediately froze as if time itself had stopped. N brought his arms over his head to stretch, and then resumed his work. Alphonse heaved an inaudible sigh and glanced back to where Piper watched, and she urged him on with a wave of her hand. With a nod of determination, the Victini floated forward and stopped right above N's head.

N paused. Something had changed, and he wasn't sure what it was at first. Being as deep as he was in his search for answers, the outside world could often seem miles away. But as the feeling grew, he slowly came back, and then wondered "Why does the top of my head feel so exposed?" and when he reached up to find that his hat was not where he'd left it, he clued in.

"Whuh!?" he had turned around just in time to see Alphonse disappearing with the item in question.

"Ah—hey! Wait a minute!" he scrambled after the thief.

When he heard N's calls, Alphonse jolted in shock, sped the rest of the distance toward Piper, and threw the hat overtop her head. The girl gasped, "We've been spotted! Abort mission! Abort!"

Before the abductors of the hat could make their daring escape, N halted them with a hand on each shoulder.

Piper squealed through laughter as she fought weakly in N's grip, "Al! I've been caught! Go on without me! Save yourself!"

"Piper…" N began, kneeling down in front of her. "Why did you steal my hat?"

"What hat?" she asked innocently as the bill drooped over her eyes.

N lifted his hat off her head with a disbelieving frown, "The one on your… oh, never mind. What are you and Alphonse doing here?" N asked, glancing at the Victini who, despite Piper's earlier pleas, still fluttered over her head. "Why aren't you playing with Terrance?"

"I dun wanna play with Terrance!" she said. "He's a poop-head!"

"Poop-head?" N mused curiously.

"Yeah! The smelliest!" Piper glanced at Alphonse for reinforcement, but the Victini just stared at her blankly. "That's why you should come play with Al and me! Will ya? Please? Pretty please?" she looked innocently around, "Aren't you kinda lonely? It's so big and dark around here! That doesn't seem like no fun!"

"_Don't seem like no fun_!" Alphonse agreed.

"Uh…" N blinked, "You mean 'that doesn't seem like _any_ fun'." Their unenthused looks to that told him that wasn't the point, "Well… I would, you see, but I have a lot of work that needs to be…" N froze. After taking a simple glance into both Piper and Alphonse's pleading eyes, he was made helpless. No man or monster alive could resist their combined, dewy-eyed gaze. "Well, uh." He smiled softly, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a little break…"

Piper gasped, "So does that mean you will!?"

N showed a smile, "Sure. Why not?" He'd dug deep enough for today. Piper was right about this place; he could use a break. Besides, what could go wrong?

"Hooray!" Piper rejoiced, throwing her hands up, and Alphonse echoed the gesture with a joyous squeak.

"Then…" N began. "What is it that we should play?"

Piper and Alphonse shared a devious smirk.

* * *

><p>"Wait! One more before you go!" Cheryl plopped another bundle of undergarments on top of the basket Touko struggled to hold in her arms. Whoever's underpants they were, she had no idea. "So. Can you go hang that outside for me, and then come back for the next load when you're done? Sound good?"<p>

"Yeah," Touko grunted as she slowly trudged towards the door. "Sure thing, Mom."

The unfortunate thing for Touko was that it took about a ten minute walk to get outside to where the clothesline was. She was seriously wondering if her arms would be able to hold out for that long, and to make matters worse, she had to go back and get another load when the current one was done. Touko suppressed a sigh as she shuffled down the hall, leaning the large basket against her body so that her arms wouldn't have to take so much weight. But in the process, she ended up looking like some sort of waddling Ducklett. _Pull your weight, Touko. Pull your weight._

The girl suddenly stopped when a curious sound met her ears. She figured she was just imaging it, or her ears were playing tricks on her, but when she stopped to listen she found this was not the case. The sound came quietly at first, softly in the distance. But it soon grew louder and closer. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Touko could have sworn she heard, what sounded like, someone making a very bad train impression far off down the hall. Touko stared in the direction where she heard the noise, debating on whether or not she'd gone insane.

Only a moment later, N appeared jogging down the hall. Piper was riding on his shoulders, and Alphonse was clinging to Piper's shoulders on the next level up. "_Chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga!_"

Touko watched, dumbstruck, as they approached. After seeing the sight, Touko came to the new conclusion that N was the one who had lost his mind.

"Station ahead!" Piper cried, pointing in Touko's direction.

N came to a stop with a "_Screeeeeech_!"

Touko could only blink at the three of them before she found it in her to ask. "What in the name of this good earth are you doing?"

"Oh, well. I'm…" His cheeks coloured softly.

"We're playing train!" Piper declared on N's shoulders as his hat drooped over her eyes. Alphonse agreed with a giddy chirp, thrusting a fist in the air.

Touko forced a strained smile as her arms began to tremble from the basket's weight, "Ah. I see. Looks like fun."

N dropped the smile and looked at the basket curiously, "Are you going to hang that out?"

"Ah, yeah, that's the plan anyway. Heh. It's pretty heavy…" She said, struggling to hold both her smile and the laundry.

Piper wrapped her arms around N's head, unintentionally covering his eyes, "You should just put it down and come and play with us! You could be the caboose!" Alphonse landed on Piper's head and nodded.

Touko's eyebrow twitched. _Caboose? _"Ah… I'd love to… really, but I've gotta hang this stuff out. If I don't do it then who will?"

"I see." N said blankly, removing one of Piper's hands from his eye, "That's a shame. Oh well, I guess we'll see you around then."

"Off we go!" Piper shouted declaratively as N started forward, slowly at first, but then speeding up into a full jog.

Touko watched them go as N continued to, "_Chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga-Choo-Choo!"_ off into the distance.

The girl heaved a sigh and kept on walking. _Those three… are really having too much fun._

* * *

><p><strong>II. <strong>(_child in the garden._ Part One)

The king of the world was a small man inside of his palace. Ghetsis walked on through arced hallways of marble, and chambers of red and gold. All that could be heard were echoing footsteps. To him, he heard the rustling of his robes. He met no one else, and that made him feel smaller. Or perhaps it made the walls feel bigger; it was hard to know.

From time to time, he would pause to admire the paintings which were strung up through the halls, placed artfully to draw one's eye. Some were complex, of ancient battles between man and beast; of titans the size of the sky, weaving elements with brutish hands. Of warriors which galloped the land, earth rising beneath their hooves; of goliath dragon of lightning and fire, casting ruination beneath their feet. Ghetsis spared them all quick glances, and went on.

For a time he stopped to watch the water lap in the canals bordering the corridors, watching the stones glisten beneath the clear surface. Both the sight and sound was ethereal calm. When he found himself zoning out, vision blurring with absence, he realized he'd stayed too long, and continued walking.

The hallways were smaller here; the ceilings not as high or grand. White walls accentuated gold trim, and seemed pleasing to the eye. Here, too, there were paintings. A lone tree among a hill silhouetted by gray sky; a simple river running through a shaded forest—Ghetsis could almost smell the moisture and the trees. Near the end he found a painting of a bouquet of flowers, and stopped here for a long time.

It wasn't bad, this 'taking it easy' thing; the elder sage did not have much opportunity for it now a days. This was made even more true with the recent events which had put pressure on him, and had worn him down even more. Add it to the list: the recent escape of Touko and N from the palace, their abolishment of the Dream Factory in Striaton City, not to mention the recent ordeal in Castelia—that one was perhaps the most revolting of them all. An extended vacation was sounding more wonderful by the minute, but unfortunately for him, the sage hadn't the luxury. The course of the future that he had in mind required constant supervision and guidance if it were to be realized. And he was also well aware that Team Plasma's castle would end up a pile of rubble if it was left in the hands of Christophe and the Sages.

"Ho there!"

Rood of the Seven Sages appeared down the hall.

"Ah," Ghetsis greeted him with a short bow. "Good day to you."

Rood returned the greeting and came to a stop beside Ghetsis, also falling victim to the charm of the simple artwork around them. The two sages stood in silence for a moment, but then something caught Ghetsis's eye. The sage couldn't help but notice that Rood was wearing a red anemone on the breast of his robe.

"Er…" Ghetsis began after a few long moments of thoughtful silence. "Rood, may I ask where you got that flower from?"

"Oh? This little one?" Rood showed a smile under his bushy mustache. "Lord N grew it for me. He approached me a few days ago and asked if I was fond of any particular flowers." His smile grew, "Red anemones happen to be a favorite of mine." Rood noticed Ghetsis's look and asked, "Why? Is something the matter?"

"Ah. No. Simple curiosity is all," Ghetsis smiled tightly before turning to go. "I must be off now. Good day."

Ghetsis continued to walk the halls for a bit, but the flower on Rood's cloak never left his mind. Christophe had grown that for him? Was that the truth? Why would that boy be fooling around growing flowers of all things? Did he not have important work and supervision to take care of? He was a king, surely that was his job.

"Ah, good day, Ghetsis."

Ghetsis withdrew from his train of thought to see Gorm walking down the hall, and right away Ghetsis noticed the wreath of blue bell flowers swirling around his pointed cap.

Gorm noticed Ghetsis's look and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Er…" Ghetsis suppressed a frown. "The flowers on your cap… our _Lord N_ wouldn't have happened to have grown those for you, had he?"

Gorm coloured slightly, "Indeed he has. You see, between you and me, I rather enjoy bell flowers. They're… rather adorable, don't you think?"

"Sorry," Ghetsis said with a strained smile. "Regretfully, I can't stay and chat."

Ghetsis went on his way, but he was no longer out for a leisurely stroll. After seeing both Rood and Gorm, there was a certain place he found a strong need to visit. Only, before he got there, he ran into Giallo who had several large sunflowers sticking out of his robe. He looked ridiculous. And that happened to be the final straw.

With an unpleasant crash, the door of the green house burst open, and both Anthea and Concordia, not standing far away, jumped at the noise. They saw Ghetsis standing there, murder in his eyes, and they both froze up like a Deerling in the head lights. Both tried not to look guilty as they hid watering pots behind their backs.

The sage's eyes darted about, from flowers to fruit, to vegetable and tree, all of which filled the garden with vitality. He hardly had the time to admire them.

"Where is he?" the Sage demanded.

"Uh… N, sir?" Anthea asked sheepishly.

"Yes, N! Who else would I be here for!?"

"You guys don't have to keep calling me N! I told you all before, it's Christophe!" Ghetsis's brow scrunched as he heard the voice drifting out from behind a row of tomato plants. He followed it to find Christophe squatting before a soil bed, tucking a seedling into the moist dirt.

Christophe was wearing a faded pair of overalls which were already smudged with dirt and pocked with holes. After the seedling had been buried, Christophe showed a small smile. He wiped the dirt off N's face, which only smudged it further, and turned to Ghetsis.

"So. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he asked, standing and placing hands on his hips. "You hardly ever come to visit me unless it's about work…" Christophe's eyes brightened. "Wait. Could it be that you've come here to ask me to grow a flower for you?!" The king smiled excitedly, "I was thinking of growing you a bouquet of black roses… hm, or maybe dark blue. Both colours kind of suit you… perhaps I can create some mixture of the two. I wonder if I can create a pattern on the petals similar to your robe? Wouldn't that be exotic!" and he laughed good naturedly.

Ghetsis sighed in aggravation and pinched the bridge of his nose. A migraine was coming on. "Ugh. Just be silent, you fool. I did not come here to pick out a bouquet…"

The king tilted his head. "Hm?"

"Flowers are the last thing that I need at the moment, and the sages do not need them either," Ghetsis finished, shooting the boy an accusing look.

Christophe blinked, "What do you mean?"

Ghetsis frowned, "Don't play dumb with me. I've seen firsthand the flowers you've been pollinating about to the sages."

The king's face was extremely blank for a few moments. "Oh! Those flowers you mean!" he paid no mind to how Ghetsis's look darkened. "What happens to be the problem with it, then? They were the ones who came to me, perchance I suppose, and I just happened to ask them if they were fond of any particular kinds," he paused to wipe his hands on his overalls, "besides, don't you just think that the flowers just… _breathe life into them_!?" he spread out his arms and declared.

Ghetsis threw his face into his hand. "For god's sake…"

"Really, now. I was only kidding," Christophe smirked. "Can't you take a joke?"

Ghetsis looked over his fingertips murderously, and Christophe shrunk back. The sage stomped over and grabbed rough hold of Christophe's collar, pulling him in close.

"Listen to me, and listen to me well. If you want to grow flowers, go ahead and do it, grow whatever it is you want. But I do not want a single seed to leave this room. Is that clear, boy?"

Christophe tried not to show his fear. His expression tightened, and he nodded.

Ghetsis shoved him lose and stormed from the room, slamming the door on his way out. Christophe remained stood there, weakly touching where Ghetsis had gripped him, eyes lowered.

Concordia drew near to him. "…Are you alright, my lord?"

There was no response.

Concordia frowned, "Er… Christophe?" When she'd touched his shoulder, he jolted and she quickly withdrew. "Oh… are… are you alright? You've become rather pale."

"Ah… it's nothing, really… just," his fingers weakly touched where the sage had grasped him. "His skin… for some reason… just felt so incredibly cold…"

* * *

><p><strong>III.<strong> (_to let her go_)

"For Arceus sake," Touko cursed as she tried and failed desperately to hang a comforter on the line. The blanket was too big and bulky for her to hold without dragging it all over the ground, and it made it difficult to spread it evenly on the line. "If you don't get on that line… I swear you're gonna be quilt material…" Touko growled as she fumbled around with the comforter.

"Um. Threatening a blanket now?"

Touko spun around to see Bianca standing at the doorway, smiling sheepishly.

Touko blinked, frozen in an awkward position with the sheet, "Well. Um. Yeah. You… heard all that?" her cheeks coloured.

"Would you like me to help you?" Bianca offered.

Touko sighed in relief, "Please do."

Bianca trotted over, taking one end.

"Got it?" Touko asked, securing her end.

Bianca responded with a resolute nod. "On the count of three, then!" and with a great whoosh, they threw it over the line.

"Mission accomplished!" hooted Touko, pumping her fist into the air. The blanket had been defeated; she had won this day.

"It is always easier when others are there to help you out, no?" Bianca said with a sweet smile, "but why didn't you ask Hyle or another one of your Pokémon for help?"

"Aah, haha, I don't know if they'd be too thrilled by helping me hang out laundry," she replied, rubbing the back of her head. "Besides, hanging out laundry is dangerous business with Pokémon involved! Hyle's beard could set the underpants on fire!" she exclaimed, raising her arms up in illustration of a great blaze, "and I think Luca would accidentally shred the blankets to bits! And Terra doesn't even have opposable thumbs!"

"Ah!" Bianca's cheeks reddened, "Well! Wh-when you put it like that, it does seem troublesome!"

"That's why…" Bianca looked up to see her friend smiling, "I could use your help instead. How about it?"

"Alright!"

Two pairs of hands certainly were better than one, and in half the time, Touko and Bianca had everything hung out secure.

It was a good day for laundry drying. The sun was high in the sky and there wasn't a cloud in sight, and it didn't look like there'd be a sandstorm any time soon either. It was also perfect break weather to bask in the warm sun, which wasn't made too hot thanks to the cool breeze of winter.

"So. Bianca…" Touko began. "There's… uh, something I kind of want to ask you. But, you know, you don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

The blond kept her eyes on the sky as if in a trance. "You can go ahead and ask me whatever you want to, Touko," her innocent smile made Touko's heart ache even more.

"It's… about your parents," Touko finally got it out. Bianca didn't take her eyes off the sky. "It's just that… how do they feel about you being a part of the resistance? I mean, both of them, especially your dad, were pretty opposed to you going out on your journey in the first place because they were afraid something bad would happen to you." She showed a weak smile, "They must not be holding together too well now that they know you're part of the rebel faction. Come to think of it… I don't think I've ever seen them around the base before…" Touko looked to and fro, as if expecting to spot them.

"That's because they aren't here." Bianca said emotionlessly.

The blonde's tone of voice caused Touko to try and find her eyes and Bianca met them with uncharacteristic composure. "My parents… are a lot like everyone else in the region right now. When Nuvema Town was taken over and destroyed, my parents started thinking like everyone else. They thought Pokémon are evil… and that being part of a rebel group made me evil too." Bianca's eyes fell to her fidgeting fingers.

"Where are they now?" Touko asked.

"They've bought a house in Nimbasa City. They said they wouldn't stop me from being a part of Juniper's group… but they said if I did… then they'd never want to see me again." Tears started shining in her eyes, and Touko couldn't pretend she couldn't see them.

But Touko was unsure of what words she could use to offer at least some comfort for her. There didn't really seem to be anything she could say to make all of their problems go away. So instead, she wrapped a secure arm around her friend's shoulder, and embraced her tears.

It came to a point where they eventually ran dry, and Bianca wiped her nose on her sleeve. "B-but, you know what? I don't regret it." Bianca looked up again, "I don't regret what I've done here, Touko. I don't regret working for the professor, or trying to stop Team Plasma, no matter how many people hate me for it. You understand," the smile she showed was so sweet. Touko felt her heart knot in her chest, but she couldn't help but nod. "I know that my being a part of this group is a good thing, because we're trying to help people, and Pokémon, and we're trying to bring them back together again. We don't want to hurt anyone, and because of that… I know things will change if we keep trying. When people see what we can do with Pokémon by our sides, I think people won't see them as enemies anymore, no matter what Team Plasma says."

Her heart was unknotting, and Touko found herself grinning. "You're right about that. It's not easy, and it does take a bit of… a guiding push. But I saw it all happen in Striaton City. There are still a lot of people out there who want things to change, even if some of them aren't quite aware of it yet," and eyes fell downward. "It can be hard to see through the fog, I know. It's… a lot easier to lay back and drift along with the current." The girl thought back to all she'd seen in Castelia City, and it made her uneasy.

"I know, but I'm not gonna give up. I'm gonna keep on trying." Bianca said determinedly, staring up at the sun.

"You and I both," Touko agreed, wrapping her arm around her friends shoulder. "It's not gonna be easy… but I know we can do it."

* * *

><p><strong>IV. <strong>(_child in the garden. _Part Two)

Christophe entered Ghetsis's office with a large stack of papers in his arms. He'd been requested to deliver them personally, which was fine to the king by all means, considering that it was the only real laborious task he was forcefully requested to adhere to. But as the king entered, he noticed that the room was empty, and no one was sitting at the desk at the back of the room.

Christophe cocked an eyebrow as he drifted in. Ghetsis was supposed to be here, and Christophe knew him as a man who took meetings seriously. As he reached the desk, Christophe called out, "Hello? Anyone home?"

A voice answered him from the conjoining bathroom, whose door remained shut and locked. "Yes, yes. Hold on one moment. I'll be out in but a second." Ghetsis responded. The soft patter of a shower lulled behind his words. Christophe hadn't even noticed it until he'd come close enough to hear it.

Christophe shrugged as he placed the stack of papers neatly on Ghetsis's already organized desk. The elder sage didn't have too much decoration on his table; it was mostly filled with papers, reports and statistics, each filed into their own organized clumps. There was a holder for writing utensils and a box of wipes for his reading glasses, but besides that there wasn't much personalization. It was strict and as uniform as one would expect from the elder man. But then, Christophe noticed something that did not belong. Something clashed with the conformity.

Near the corner of the desk stood a small picture frame. Christophe had not remembered it being there before, and stared at it silently, as if it might disappear.

What was it a picture of? The king wondered as its back taunted him. A sudden thought occurred. Could it be a picture of N? Christophe gathered, from his time spent in the castle, and listening to Anthea and Concordia's stories, that Ghetsis held no love for his supposed 'son'. By their accounts, Ghetsis did nothing less than despise the boy, using him as a mere piece on his board, a king to be manipulated by the player.

_I suppose that makes me the lesser replacement…_

But if there was a picture of N on Ghetsis's desk, could that mean that the Sage did harbor a certain affection for the boy?

Christophe, intrigued, reached over and turned the frame his way. He was shocked to discover that it wasn't a picture of N, but the reality was even more startling. It was a photo of a woman. Light blond locks of hair flowed down her body in beautiful and natural curls. Sunlight brightened every feature she had, from her small eyes, to her peach skin, all the way to her heartwarming smile. White gardenia flowers surrounded her. As the bathroom door opened, and Ghetsis stepped out of it, Christophe noticed the woman's swollen belly, which she cradled gently.

Ghetsis caught him with the picture frame and gave Christophe a hard half-stare. Apparently before showing his face to anyone, he'd replaced the metal patch over his right eye. Christophe always had to wonder what he was trying to hide under that. But that, along with the picture he held, just added to the man's mystery.

"Put that down," the tone was clearly an order, but it had an odd lack of anger or fury in it, which greatly surprised the second king. Ghetsis had nearly ripped his head off when he'd pollinated a few flowers to the sages, but this…

Ghetsis didn't wait for him to respond, and seated himself in the posh leather chair behind his wide desk. He then, with a surprisingly casual air, began to flip through the papers Christophe had brought with a single hand. His right one remained hidden in the sleeve of his robe.

The king placed the frame back down in its exact spot, slowly, innocently.

"Is it all accounted for here?" The sage asked without even looking up.

"Who was she?" Christophe asked.

Ghetsis closed his eye, like he didn't want to be bothered with answering, like it was a memory he'd rather choose to keep buried. "That is none of your concern. If that is all, you are dismissed." Surprisingly, the Sage remained calm, which confused the Christophe even further, but it also made him curious.

"She seemed to like gardenias." Christophe noted, staring at the back of the picture stand, "They're a lovely of flower. I could grow you some if you want."

Ghetsis's brow wrinkled. "Have you so soon forgotten the conversation we've had this very day?"

"I just thought…"

"I'd rather you keep whatever ideas you have to yourself. You're role in this world is not to think," Ghetsis said, finally looking up at the king from under his brow, "I do hope I make myself clear." The undertone of anger in that voice, made Christophe shudder. He hoped it had not been apparent, but he didn't let it get the better of him, and stared back at the sage unfalteringly, unblinkingly.

He was probing too deep, getting closer to places he was not supposed to have knowledge of. This was the zone of danger, he knew that.

He was curious…

"If you insist, Sir." But he wasn't stupid. He turned and left.

* * *

><p><strong>V.<strong> (_hearts beat as one_)

After stopping at the Touko Station, N, Piper, and Alphonse continued their unmapped journey through the subterranean base. There weren't a lot of people walking about through the hallways, which spared them from questioning glances, but the odd person they did see seemed amused and charmed by them, and greeted them with pleasant smiles. Soon, they began to disappear as well.

"Where are we now?" Piper asked as N slowed down to cruise control speed.

N looked around at the surrounding hallways and doors as he walked, "I'm not too sure." Alphonse, who rested on Piper's head, gave a sigh.

"Waidaminute!" Piper gasped, holding on tight to N's head, causing him to stop. "I think I hear something!"

They paused to listen. At first they heard nothing, but in the silence, a sound appeared. It grew louder in echoes, and travelled from down the corridor.

The sound was fragmented, and harsh. It distorted as it drifted down the chamber, rebounding eerily off the walls.

"What… what is that?" Piper asked, squeezing onto N's head in distress.

Alphonse hid behind her hair. "_It sounds like breathing_!"

"Breathing!?" the little one squeaked, hands closing over her mouth.

"_Is it a monster_!?" small embers flickered off Alphonse's lower wings in distress.

"N!" from his shoulders, Piper unintentionally covered his eyes in an attempt to hold on. "What if it's a scary Pokémon down there!? What should we do?"

He lifted her small hand off, expression as calm as the water's surface. "The only way for us to find out, is to go forward."

"Do you have Marie and Laika with you? If it's a Pokémon, you can't fight it on your own! It could eat us!" N could almost hear her teeth chattering, and he could feel Alphonse trembling at his shoulder. This surprised him; the two of them really were scared.

"It's alright," he put a smile in his voice. "I believe that it is highly unlikely that it is a Pokémon down there, but if it is, it may be scared and lost, and it would be wrong for us to run away. There isn't need for the both of you to become worried. If you are afraid, you can leave if you'd like, but I will never turn my back on a friend that would be in distress."

N felt Piper slide down his back and onto the ground, and following that, surprisingly, felt her slide a hand into his own. With a tight squeeze, and determined eyes, she looked up at him. "Then I'll go with you!"

"_M-me t-too_!" squeaked Alphonse from behind N's shoulder.

Somehow, the former king felt warm inside. Facing the unknown together was certainly a fun feeling. "Then, let us advance" and they did so.

The sound grew louder the further they went, a sure sign they were coming closer. At times it would stop, and then pick up rhythm suddenly. It was sporadic, every changing, and with it, echoing the breaths, came a repeated dry smack.

The hall became darker.

"N! I see a light at the end, coming from that door!" Piper informed in a hush.

"I notice it as well," he replied, voice level but eyes never leaving the door. "Now that we've become closer, I do not feel as though this type of breathing belongs to a Pokémon."

Piper's eyes shone with intrigue, "What d'you think it is then?"

"_We don't really need to know that_!" the little Victini squeaked behind them, paws held over its mouth.

"The only way to find out…" N began.

"_No please_!"

"…would be to look inside the room," Piper finished.

"_Let's not, please_!"

But N and Piper were already heading toward the light.

Forced to follow, Alphonse sped up behind them just as they were peeking into the room. The inside was made of a dulled white concrete, almost shining bright within the florescent light. Machines were spotted about the room, but to the party's quick relief, they were no devices of torture or maliciousness. But instead there was a bench press, tread mill, spinning bike, and shelves lined with weights.

Then, at the back of the room they saw it! Someone was there, throwing their fists into a brown punching bag. They were in stance. Gloved fists thudded into the leather. Beads of sweat sprayed with each fluid and trained movement. The small shifting of her feet, the lock of her shoulders, the eyes on her leather opponent, all of it was expertly executed, and her hair stuck to a glistening face.

"Ohh! I know who that is! Grandma Cheryl!" Piper cried happily, making a beeline toward Touko's mother.

Cheryl caught sight of them, "Oh! Piper!" Piper leapt up into her arms, and Cheryl caught her effortlessly, spinning her once around before setting her back down. She looked up to see N approach, "What are the three of you doing down here?"

N walked in slowly with Alphonse still clinging to the back of his shoulder, peeking out occasionally. He knew there was no longer a monster in here, but N reckoned him shy.

"N and I were playing train! And then we heard you fighting! Why are you fighting in here!?" Piper asked, words and eyes filled with awe.

A heartwarming smile smoothed out the lines on the older woman's face. "I'm not fighting," she told them, "call it… practicing instead. Unfortunately, I don't have much in the way of competition. My only opponent here is," she nudged the bag with a gloved hand, "this old thing."

"That's not good enough?" Piper wondered aloud.

"Nah," some kind of half smile pulled on Cheryl's face, "it's not flesh and blood. It doesn't move around, block your blows, or deal some back to you, you know? Haha!"

Piper tried her own hand at punching the bag, but her tiny fist hardly caused it to tremble. "Uua! It's heavy!" she exclaimed, pushing her weight onto it but it hardly shifted, "isn't there someone down here you can fight instead of this fat thing?"

Cheryl cracked a smile at her wording, "Nah, haven't the luck, I guess." With a sigh, she untied her gloves and began a steady trek to an iron bench against the wall. "Shame too. We've got a ground gym leader, an electric gym leader, and a bug gym leader here, but no fighting expert. Shame we couldn't have found Marshal, haha" the bench creaked as she flopped down on it, and Piper pattered after her.

"Marshy? Who's that? Is he another Gym guy like Elesa?"

"Haha, partly. Marshal was a member of the Elite Four. They're a trial you have to face before you can challenge the champion," Touko's mother informed, popping off the cap of her water bottle. "He was the fighting expert, haaa," she blew an aged sigh, "would be nice to trade blows with him again."

N perked up, "_Again_? Do you imply that…"

"Ah," she grunted in affirmation. "Back in the days of my youth," her teeth sparkled in the smile, "fought him once before and… took him down in one round," as her eyes grew distant, and voice faded, she seemed to be drawn back into the past. She'd frozen, for a moment, and broke the stupor by taking a rather large swig of her water.

"You've fought… Marshal before… and won?" N felt his throat going a bit dry. What kind of woman was she!?

"Ahh, yeah. But that was back in the prime of my youth." She smiled weakly, "I'm certainly not what I used to be. Haaa. I'm getting older."

Piper took a seat on the bench beside Cheryl and swung her feet back and forth, "I don't think you're old, Grandma."

Cheryl smiled, tousling Piper's hair, "Thanks kiddo."

"You haven't…" N started, "…you haven't taught Touko any boxing… have you?" He felt his pulse quicken at the thought.

"Pffft! Oh heavens no!" Cheryl said with a laugh, throwing her hands up, "My daughter is fearsome enough without it," and her eyes softened, "I tried to get Touko into it when she was younger, but she said that she didn't like the concept of getting all sweaty and then punching other sweaty people around in the ring, even though, that's not really what boxing is all about."

"I see." N felt his pulse settle, and took a seat on the bench with them. Alphonse peeked out slightly, growing more interested in Cheryl and her words.

"But I'm happy, you know?" with eyes down, she absently swirled around the water inside the bottle, "I'm happy that Touko is as strong as she is. Even if she doesn't know a lot of self defense, she's as stubborn as a Bouffalant and doesn't give up too easily either." Her eyes drifted back upward, and N noticed warmth and pride in them. What a nice look that was, "That's why I wasn't worried when I heard she'd lost against Team Plasma and had been captured. I knew that she was still alive, and that she'd find her way back to me some day."

Piper and Alphonse gawped in interest, "How did you know that if she was so far away from you!?"

Cheryl tapped her forehead, "Mother's intuition!"

"Can I do that too?!" Piper asked, leaning in closer.

"Of course!" Cheryl said, "All three of you should be able to do it! Despite the name it's not limited to just mothers! You see, if you have a person that you really care for, then deep in your heart, you'll know if they're okay no matter how far apart you are!"

"How?" N asked skeptically.

"It's simple, really," Cheryl grinned. "Just do as I do." Step one was a deep breath in. Next she straightened her posture and placed her feet flat on the ground and her hands on her knees. With somewhat slight reluctance, varying from each member, N, Piper and Alphonse—who was hovering in place—followed.

"Now, deep breaths. In… and out…" Cheryl put her fingers to her temple and closed her eyes, "Now, visualize Touko. Her blue eyes, dark brown hair, little round nose. Vis-u-a-lize. Are you visualizing?"

"Yes!" Piper said determinately.

They had all followed Cheryl's instructions and while Piper and Alphonse seemed to be taking the exercise seriously, N's brow was wrinkled and he was trying to hold back a frown. He felt rather ridiculous doing this.

"Now… what would Touko be doing now?… Ommmm," Cheryl said, deep in trance state.

"Oh!" Piper suddenly piped. "I can see her now!"

All eyes turned to Piper in shock. The girl in question had her eyes shut tight, with fingers on her temple just as Cheryl had shown. "She's in a hallway, I think!" Piper went on, "Oooh! I think she's coming he—"

"What the heck are you guys doing?"

All heads suddenly whipped to the door to find Touko there, staring at them all as if they'd gone mental. Touko noticed her mother sitting there, smiling goofily, and she frowned. "Mom. Just what are you doing to them?"

"I am teaching them to locate those close to them! Through spiritual communication!" Cheryl showed a thumbs up, "You were the victim today!"

"You really need to stop doing these things…" her daughter responded, with an even darker frown.

* * *

><p><strong>VI.<strong> (_child in the garden_. Final Part)

The second king was inside of the greenhouse. Light arced in through the glass paneled roof, and dappled on him through the trees. How warm it felt… how calming. Christophe always liked it here because it felt as if he'd entered another world where everything seemed bright and everything is blooming. Delusions could be fun.

"What do you think they'll look like when they bloom?" he tucked the last seedling into the dirt and patted the burial. He turned to his Scraggy which leant against the nearby wall. It hadn't answered him, but cracked open a questioning eyelid.

"Because of the changes I've made to the base, they'll probably take a lot longer to grow than usual… maybe a few months… hm," and looked upward absently. This daze was only broken when Christophe felt a tug on his sleeve, and he turned to see his Scraggy beside him.

The lizard looked to his trainer's hands which remained coated in dirt, and then to the soil bed set in an iron frame shelf before them. In curiosity, the Scraggy waddled over.

His trainer watched in interest. "Oh! You mustn't touch them!" The Scraggy started, and immediately withdrew an inquiring finger. The suddenness and volume of his trainer's voice had taken him aback, for he was used to it sounding so calm and smooth. Seeing the surprise in his beady eyes, Christophe broke the intensity with a smile, "They're sleeping under the ground, you know." He nodded to the soil, "The seeds."

The Scraggy looked from his trainer to the soil bed several times, and tilted its head.

"Even though they can't see the sun yet, they know it's out there. Even if they don't have eyes yet to see it with, or skin to feel it with. Something deep within them has a desire stronger than we can imagine to rise out of the soil and bloom under the light." The smile didn't go away. How nice, "They're not strong enough to do it yet, which is why we need to help them by giving them water, and making sure the soil they're buried in is the way it needs to be to give them the right strength. Some plants like damper soil, for example…"

For long moments of silence, the Scraggy stared at its trainer with wide and unblinking eyes, letting everything he told him sink into his skull. When it had, he looked back to where the seeds lay buried and wondered what they'd look like when they started to grow.

Christophe showed a smile, amused by how engrossed his Pokémon appeared to be. "Let me show you what they'll look like," he got up and searched the nearby shelves for a book, and he found it quickly. "M… M… ah, here. See?" The Scraggy scuttled over in interest. "Marigolds. Nice, don't you think?" and he laughed at how vigorously his Pokémon nodded. "Marigolds are often known for their warmth and orange color, but I've decided to change them in a way. With the chemicals I applied to the base, the Marigolds that we grow should end up looking blue, like they were frozen by ice!" his Pokémon's mouth dropped open. "Haha, amazing, no?" He closed the book and placed it back on its shelf, "We'll just have to make sure our Sun God doesn't see them as appetizing and try to eat them."

There was a long pause, where Scraggy hardly even blinked. He then brought up his fists and placed them on either side of his head with an index digit sticking out. Following, his eye lids drooped and the lizard pursed his lips in the best attempt at a kissy-face he could make. It took Christophe a moment.

He burst into laughter, "Not Gothorita! I mean Volcarona!" and he wiped a tear from his eye. "She is an insect of fire, understand. A greenhouse isn't exactly the kind of place I'd like her to have free reign of." The king's eyes became suddenly distant, and downward. "Her fire… kind of surprised me. I suppose I should have been expecting it… with all the legends I've been told… but… still… I've hardly ever seen a flame like it…" and his eyes faded further.

There was something in his expression that sent a shudder down Scraggy's spine, and at once the little lizard knew that parts of the darker world were crawling into this bright place from the king's head. It couldn't come here. Not in one of the only places where he'd seen his trainer truly smile.

A swift kick to his shin did the trick.

"Ouch! Wh-what on earth was that for!?"

Scraggy looked at him hard. _For your own good_. But if only his words could reach him. Scraggy turned and walked back off on his own, and the king watched without a clue.

"Is your shin injured?"

Christophe jumped, but he hoped Anthea hadn't seen it. "Ah. No. It wasn't a particularly hard blow… er… anyway, how long were you standing there for?"

Her expression was eerily calm, "A time."

He shook his head slightly, disregarding her purposefully vague answer, and said, "Regardless, I'm glad you've approached me, for I have something to inquire."

Her expression changed with a faint curiosity. "Yes?"

"I was wondering how long both you and Concordia have known Ghetsis for."

Her eyes widened slightly, "Well. I am unsure on the exact specifics. Lord Ghetsis welcomed us into his care when we were much younger. We had been orphans similar to Lord N, though we came to this place a few years before he had, if my memory serves me well."

The king cupped his chin, "I see… I suppose the king of the world was quite younger back in those days."

"Yes… he… did not carry so many lines of weariness and composure on his face, but the oppressiveness of his look has never changed for all the years I have known him," she looked down, hands folded over her lap. If anything, it had only intensified.

"Do you know the story of why he always conceals his right arm and eye?" the king kept his expression passively inquisitive. He didn't want to come off as being too desperate for answers.

Anthea seemed more surprised by this. "Oh… you've come to notice that as well."

He tilted his head, "It's slightly noticeable."

"That is true," she nodded. "Though, I am also unaware of how his injuries, if that is what they are, were inflicted, or by whom. It was never our place to question, understand…"

"I see," and he sighed through his nose, "well, there is only one thing more. In all the time that you've known him for has Ghetsis ever had a significant other?"

In a silence, Anthea looked up and blinked at him.

"A lover?"

Her eyes seemed to grow wider.

"A wife?"

"Wh-why is it you wish to inquire!?" she flustered.

"Simple curiosity is all," he said with a smile. "I believe I need to know what is required for my role."

With these words, Anthea immediately sobered. Yes, his role. "For as long as Concordia and I have been here, I have never seen Lord Ghetsis with the kind of person you are asking of."

"I see." Christophe closed his eyes for a moment, "Well, thank you for the information." With a curt bow, he strolled off.

"Oh, w-wait a moment! Where are you going?"

"On the hunt for Gardenia seeds," he said, turning on his heel, "for some reason," he shrugged, "I'm overcome with the urge to grow them." And she watched him leave.

* * *

><p>The day had been long and hard for the elder sage. So many meetings, so many orders and reports to give, so much data and statistics to study. Ruling the world wasn't easy. Of course, Ghetsis had been prepared for that from day one. Quitters and slackers were never the ones to make their dreams come true. The most crucial thing one needed to face the lofty goal as king of the world was ambition and a heart of steel. Both aforementioned were still in check, but mortality was a curse to all, even the king of the world. Day by day he felt it more and more: his mind slowing, his body aching and cracking in ways it hadn't since before. It's all breaking down little by little, but it won't be long now. Keep singing the mantra of reassurance, god of the world. No, it won't be long now. If he looked close enough, he could see it over the horizon, the image of his mind finding form in this blackened world. Light.<p>

Yes, it wouldn't be long now.

Ghetsis walked the moonlight spilt hallways of the castle. He was heading towards his study because he now had a small window of relaxation time before he would have to turn in for the night. He decided to spend that time having a glass of wine, red, his favorite, and curling up with a good book.

The Sage opened the door with a creek, flicking on the light switch and digging his knuckle into the corner of his visible eye with a yawn. He was certainly debating on whether he should just turn in right away; it was going to be an early one tomorrow.

But as he entered the room, what he found waiting there made him freeze in place. They commanded his eyes to them, the beings of light, and took with them his breath. They were all grouped up together, white, tender even to the eye, resting in an onyx-colored vase. Right in the middle of his desk, he was sure not to miss them, but no matter where they had been placed their radiance could not have been overlooked. He found no words. His only thought… _Gardenia flowers_. For a time, he stood at the door as if time had stopped. He watched, as they shimmered.

When his legs began to hurt, he realized he'd been standing for too long. He set the past, that he'd almost been swept back into, aside. No, he'd spent too many years dragging his feet through those memories. Not again.

With thoughts aside, and feelings saved for later, the old man walked slow to his desk. From a wine cupboard nearly hidden at the back of the room, he drew an aged bottle, popped the cork, and poured a glass. Why not indulge, for a time? Even the god of the world needed a break.

A small smile grew on the Sage's aging face as he leant back in his chair to admire the flowers. He took a sip of his drink, and sighed.

"It's funny, really… how things have turned out. Don't you think so?" But silence was all that answered him. He looked downward, and slowly withdrew his hidden arm from under his cloak. This hand was darker than any shadow in the room, withered black. His eye narrowed at it as it shook from the mere strain of holding it up. The sage was forced to lower the arm back into his cloak, and he curled inward.

"It hurts…"

* * *

><p>Christophe was alone in his room. A full glass of water lay at his bed side, and beside that was a packet. He stared at it for quite some time, his mind in inner debate, but in the end turned away from it. As he remained seated on his bed, he watched the moon shine its pale light into this empty place. This, too, made his room seem like another world, and it amazed him to see how the celestial bodies of the sky were capable of such a thing with such little effort on their part.<p>

_You have all of my respect, Mr. Moon. _

In some time, as sleep failed to reach him, and thoughts wandered, Christophe found himself smirking. For some reason, he felt oddly sly, and yet content, with the present he'd left in the Sage's study. _How did he like them, I wonder. Quite a shame I was unable to see his reaction. It must have been golden…_

Christophe could only imagine how shocked he must have looked, and for some reason, he didn't think the Sage would be angry with him. Christophe didn't know who the woman in the picture was, but Ghetsis obviously knew her from somewhere, and had enough of a connection with her to keep her photograph around. But who was she really…? _Throw those thoughts away. It isn't your place in this world to think, or to wonder._

True.

The king wore no jewels or no robe in this place. His hair was unbound and flowed freely about him. He didn't look like a king here, not in this place that only the moon could see. Even though he no longer had his face, even though he wasn't really Christophe anymore, when the jewels were gone, and the screams of the populace were silent… in the eyes of only the moon… he felt he was himself.

He was himself from before the operation, from before the conditioning, from before he had assumed this role. He felt free.

The feelings were false, and just like the moonlight, they would be blinded out by the sun. Just like a flower they too would wither away. The past was something that couldn't be brought back, or changed, but no matter how bad or good all of it was. He reflected upon it in the night. How had he gotten this far? What had he become at this height? What mad games fate surely liked to play.

That was one of the reasons why Christophe had done it, why he'd grown those flowers for Ghetsis. Regardless of who the woman was, she was part of Ghetsis's past. Christophe wanted to bring part of the Sage's past back to the present, so that he could remember how he'd climbed so high, and what he'd done to secure his place as the emperor.

He wondered if all of it would be worth it in the end… for the both of them.

A sudden, sharp pain struck the king hard in his chest. He gasped, reached up and clenched the shirt he wore, contorting, shuddering. The pain built quickly, suddenly, and Christophe began to hack sickeningly and covered his mouth with his hands. The silent world was filled with q painful sound, and it lasted a long time. When it had finally ended, Christophe held trembling palms out to see that they were covered in blood.

A frown tainted the king's face. _Well now. Isn't this just rotten?_

* * *

><p><strong>VII.<strong> (_STARGAZER_)

After a long and eventful day, it was finally time for N to turn in for the night. He was utterly delighted in the thought of flopping down on his bed and having a nice long sleep. Being a train was exhausting work.

Touko and Piper were already tucked in by the time he had entered their room. N noticed Alphonse was sleeping together with Piper, cuddled beside her like he was a stuffed animal. It made him feel strangely warm inside. Surprising.

What a genuine connection they had. Piper didn't use Alphonse for battles, or fights to test her own worth… the two of them simply played together in this fortress. It was what N liked seeing, what his ideal connection between a human and a Pokémon truly looked like.

Yet… he'd felt the same thing from Terrance's heart during their battle. Their hearts had linked, and it was not just his own. Terrance and Alphonse had connected as well, and in such a short time. The most stunning thing to N was that it was _because_ of that fight that the boy and the Victini had been able to synchronize. It was the battle which made them closer.

N should not have found it surprising, because, as he thought about it more, he had been seeing things like that more and more often since escaping from the castle. And it simply astonished him. Wasn't this supposed to be his ideal world? Humans and Pokémon had been separated, just like he always wanted. Everything should have looked so perfect. But all the people he saw looked so empty, and their eyes were so bitter. And the few Pokémon he had seen had looked the same, so dull, and so lifeless. All their voices so quiet, and filled with hate.

Yet… when the Striaton Brothers and their Pokémon came to their rescue, or when he'd seen Fennel save the Musharna's life. Bianca's battle and Elesa's battle, or when Terrance and Piper spent time with anyone's Pokémon. N had seen… all of their eyes had been shining.

In this ideal world, where humans and Pokémon were apart… their eyes only shone when they were together. They shone just like hers from all those years ago…

With a sigh, he looked away from where she slept, and turned to his own bunk. Before he could climb under the covers he noticed something odd. The lower bunk, where Terrance was supposed to be sleeping… was empty. N stared at it for a lingering moment, trying to figure out if the darkness and fatigue were messing with him. It was not the case. The bed sheets were empty and Terrance was gone.

"Touko?" N asked, heading to her bunk and trying to rouse the slumbering girl.

She made a face and grumbled, trying to ignore his frantic nudging, "…Ughh, yeah? What is it?"

"Do you know where Terrance is?"

Touko forced one eye open, "…Is he not in bed?"

N shook his head.

Touko threw her arm over her eyes and sighed, "Great."

"You don't have to get up," N started, heading for the door, "I'll go look for him myself."

"Nah," she said, stifling a yawn and throwing her legs over the side of the bed, "I'll help you out too. Two eyes are better than one."

"Er… you mean, four eyes are better than…" N was cut short when he saw the look Touko was giving him. "…I mean, yes. Thank you, I could use the help." He'd dodged a bullet.

"Terrance is gone?" Piper immerged from the top bunk groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes, Sweetie," Touko said, taking on a gentle tone. "I'm sure he hasn't gone too far. You just go back to sleep while N and I look around for him."

Alphonse hopped on to her head as she shook it, "No, I'll come too, so I can beat up that dummy-head when we find him." She hopped down from the bunk.

Touko smiled, "Alright. Let's get going then."

All four of them left the room, but decided to split up to cover more ground. Touko and Piper went one way, and N and Alphonse went another. The former king felt unsettled as he walked through the halls. Where had Terrance gone, and why? The feeling was odd to him, but N couldn't deny that he was worried for Terrance's safety. Was he alright? Was he hurt? The simple fact of not knowing perturbed the former king. Lack of knowledge was a terrifying thing.

N suddenly stopped. Alphonse had flown out in front of him.

"What's the matter?"

Alphonse began to squeak, explaining. The Victini hovered in the air as he folded his legs, put his hands on his temple and closed his eyes in trance.

N frowned. "Oh no. Not this…"

Alphonse looked seriously at him. _Yes!_

"I'm not doing it…"

Alphonse looked at him angrily. "_You got'ta! It's the only way to find Terrance!"_

N sighed. "Surely there are other methods…"

"_Do the Trance State!_"

"Alright already!" N stood completely still and corrected his posture. He closed his eyes, took deep breaths and put his fingers to his forehead. He still felt a little ridiculous doing this, but it was his best bet. He visualized Terrance in his mind. Dark brown skin, short, jet black hair, vibrant emerald eyes, his rowdy attitude, a bit of a snubbed nose.

Terrance…

N let out a sigh and dropped his hands.

"Let's go, Alphonse." He continued walking.

"_Eh? Did you find him?_" and Alphonse sped after him.

N made his way through the base and towards the metal deck outside where Touko and Bianca had hung the laundry earlier that day. It still stood there, fluttering in the breeze, bathing in starlight. Outside, on that deck, N found Terrance.

The boy was standing near the edge, neck craned, eyes skyward, watching the countless stars above, mesmerized.

N and Alphonse watched him in silence for a few long moments. Terrance seemed not to have known that they were there. "Terrance?"

The boy's head whipped around in shock.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" N asked, walking over.

Terrance quickly shed his initial surprise and turned back around and stared at his feet, pouting.

N came to a stop beside him and looked at the boy in concern. Alphonse flew off N's shoulders and landed on Terrance's head, but the boy did nothing to remove him. "We were worried when we'd seen you weren't asleep in your bed. Why did you come out here all by yourself, and why did you not tell anyone where you had gone?"

Terrance continued to stare stubbornly at the ground and said nothing.

N frowned when he hadn't got an answer. He looked to the stars for guidance or distraction, shifting his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. Touko was always much better dealing with children. Talking to people, young and old, was difficult for N. He could understand Pokémon as if they were part of his own soul, but the emotions of people were foreign to him. How was he supposed to act? What was he supposed to say?

_I think you could do it too…_

As if in answer, a bright streak of light shot across the sky. "Whoa!" N gasped, causing Terrance to jump. "Did you see that?"

Terrance and Alphonse looked up in surprise, "N-no… what was it!?"

"_What'd you see_!?"

"I just saw a shooting star go by!"

Terrance's jaw hit the ground. "No way! Really!? Aw man! I can't believe I missed it!" and he desperately scoured the sky in unlikely search for another.

A sudden thought occurred. "Hey," N began, taking a Pokéball from his belt. He hadn't had the time to remove them, but he was thankful for that. "Would you like to sit with me and see if we could spot anymore?"

Terrance stared blankly at N for a moment. "Okay."

N decided to bring the rest of his Pokémon out to stargaze with them. Both he and Terrance rested against Laika's body as she wreathed around them like a pillow. Darumaka was seated comfortably in N's lap, staring up at the sky in a drowsy trance. Marie was nestled beside Terrance, right near the end of Laika's tail. Anya was perched on N's shoulder, where she felt most comfortable, eyes drooping, and wing rising over her beak.

They all looked up and gazed at the cosmos for a long time. N eventually asked, "How much do you know about the stars, Terrance?"

The boy shrugged. "Uh. Not too much, I guess."

"Do you know about the constellations?"

Terrance shook his head.

"What month were you born in?" N asked, and Terrance looked at him in confusion.

"Er… November… why?"

N pointed up, "Do you see those really two bright stars up there, the ones side by side?"

"…Yeah… I think so? Why? What's the deal?" Terrance asked, getting a little annoyed.

"Since you were born in November, your star sign is Scoliopede. Those two bright stars up there are part of the constellation. They symbolize the horns on the Scoliopede's head." N informed. "Oh, though, erm… I don't suppose you know what a Scoliopede looks like…"

"Do you have one? Like, you caught one?"

N shook his head.

Terrance shrugged and put his hands on his knees, "Like… I seen a bit about em. Like, that professor lady had lots of books on some Unova Pokedex, or something, and I was looking around at them a bit. Scoliopede are those guys that are all spiky and round, right?"

"…er…" N blinked.

Terrance's brow furrowed, "And they have, like, eyes!"

"…um…"

"And they have things sticking out of their head!" he shouted, flustered, and put his hands on his forehead and stuck out his index fingers. "Like, horns, you know!"

"_Antennae!"!_ Alphonse declared happily.

"Hahaha, I believe you're thinking of Whirlipede," N offered with a smile.

"Uh. Oh," he looked away, cheeks coloring. "Well… yeah."

"You are close though, for Whirlipede is the pre-evolution of Scoliopede," he informed.

"Ohh!" Terrance smacked his head, "So Sco-lee-oh-mo-pede is the bug caterpillar guy with the rings on his body! Duh! Eh, why are you laughing!?"

It was quite hard to stifle it, "It's _Scoliopede_… and… caterpillarppfff."

His cheeks became redder, "Well, whatever! Like, that's what I said! Anyway, how can a Scolio…guy be in the stars anyway!? I mean, it's just like a bunch of dots… not like they make some kind of picture or something."

N grinned, "It's when you connect those dots that you see a shape, though granted, the constellations look more like skeletal outlines than anything. You know, I also heard that the Relic Castle in the Desert Resort lines up directly with the North Star. It matches the rotation of the earth and keeps a fixed position on the star."

Terrance gasped, "Is that for real?"

"I believe so. We could trek over to the castle and do the measurements and calculations if you'd like."

Terrance blinked at him and N had to smile.

"I'm only joking." N said.

The two remained in silence for a while after that, eyes skyward, watching the twinkling fireballs above.

"I really like the stars." Terrance said after a while. "They look so awesome. Whenever I look at em, I feel really small… like a speck of dust or something. Like I'm nothing, like I'm so insignificant compared to everything that's out there." N turned to look at him but Terrance wouldn't take his eyes off the sky. "I never used to see this many stars in the city before, because all the lights on the buildings and stuff dimmed them out. One time there was a black out in the whole city, and everything went dark. There were so many stars in the sky that night. My dad brought a telescope out… and we stood on the roof and all watched them together…" Terrance bit on his lip.

N felt something in his chest tighten. What was that? Terrance looked so sad, almost on the verge of tears, but to his credit the young boy was too proud for that. It was strange, in this moment, N felt like he could understand Terrance's sadness. Since that boy would never be able to look at the stars with his mother or father again.

Both of them, here, were so small right now… weren't they…

"Ever since then," Terrance began, "I've always… uh… I've always…"

N cocked an eyebrow, "What's the matter?"

"Promise you won't laugh…okay?" Terrance said, flushing, avoiding N's eyes. "If-If you do I'll knock you out."

N blinked curiously, yet said, "I promise."

Terrance looked up again, "Well I've always wanted to be an astronaut, or a star-studier person."

"_You mean Astrologist!"_ Alphonse corrected, raising his arms with a fanged smile.

N chuckled.

"Well, yeah. Duh. I knew that… I just… kind of forgot for a sec…"

"I think you could do it."

Terrance turned to N with a blank stare. "You what?"

He shrugged, "Why not? I think that's a wonderful dream to have. If it's something that you really want to become, I have no doubt that you could do it and make it a reality."

His eyes seemed to twinkle like the cosmos above; the shock was palpable. Had no one ever praised this dream before? True to Terrance's nature, he didn't let himself stay shocked for long, but even he couldn't stop his cheeks from becoming a litter redder, "Well, yeah. I totally could do it, couldn't I?"

"Ah. So this is where you two went."

N and Terrance both turned to see Touko and Piper standing a few feet away.

"Terrance, you stupid! Why'd ya go off without tellin' us where you were going?! You dumb-head!" Piper grumbled, clinging to Touko's leg and rubbing her tired eyes. Lack of sleep had made the girl a bit snippy.

"Wha!? Y-you're the dumb head!" Terrance said, turning away in an embarrassed huff.. "I'm already, like, ten! I can go off and do what I want, when I want, without telling anyone!"

Piper walked over to her brother and took a seat in between N and himself. "You are so stupid, Terrance! If you disappear then who's gonna be my brother?" she wrapped her arms around his body. "So I'm just gonna hold onto you forever and ever and ever, then you'll have no choice but to take me wherever you go!"

"_Forever and ever!"_ Alphonse echoed happily, and jumped up onto the boy's head to hug it securely.

Touko laughed, also coming over and taking a seat beside N, giving Laika a soft scratch behind the ear as she went. "Good luck with that one, you two," she said, resting her head against N's chest. She noticed him stiffen, "Is it alright if I use you as a pillow?"

He nodded, although she couldn't help but notice that his cheeks had coloured.

"So, what were the two of you doing out here?" Touko asked.

"Oh, we were looking up at the stars," N explained.

"Really?" Piper asked, "But they're boring!"

"Are not!" Terrance retorted.

"He's right," N began. "To gaze at them like this is truly an amazing feeling. What perspective it brings, do you not agree? There's actually a lot of mythos and history surrounding the stars. Viewing the constellations and patterns, the feeling that so much out there is unknown. It really is wonderful."

Piper was already snoring.

N shot up, "Hey! It's impossible for someone to fall asleep that quickly! I'm not that boring, am I?"

"Pfff," Touko clamped a hand over her mouth; she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

Despite the joke, Piper did eventually warm to the subject, especially so when N described her star sign to her, and pointed out a few planets.

"The bright one on the horizon now is Mars."

"Ehh? Which one?"

"That one, dumby"

Touko squinted, "Is it that one doing the flicker-flicker-blink?"

"_No-no! I think it's the twinkle-blink-sparkle one!"_

"Wha!? Where's that!?" she gasped, leaning further over Laika for a peek, to which the Zoroark only grumbled, maybe in too good of a mood, or too sleepy, to care.

"It doesn't matter if it's the twinkle-blink-sparkle one because that one's not Mars!" Terrance shot over. "Besides, the one that's supposed to be Mars is doing a flash-flash-blink!"

"Can you see it, Marie?" Piper asked. With her usual smile, Marie pointed to right over the horizon.

N voiced her words, "It's the one right above that mountain peak."

"Whoa!"

"_Ohh_!"

"I see it now!"

"That one is Mars!?" Piper wondered. "But it doesn't look like Mars! it's just a regular star, only brighter!"

"It only looks like all the other stars because of how far away we, and the earth, is from it right now. Which is, approximately, thirty to fifty million kilometers away, however, it is ever changing, considering that each planet rotates around the sun on its own axis, and that each axis is not a perfect circle."

"Hey…"

N turned to Touko to see her put a finger over her lips, "Shh."

He looked at her in question, and Touko pointed over to Terrance and Piper to show that they had already fallen asleep.

N smiled softly, "Should we go back inside?"

Touko sighed, "Nah. No point now. It's not even cold, so, might as well just sleep out here." She nuzzled up against him, eyes drooping. "It's been a long time since I've fallen asleep under the sky like this…" her voice faded slightly. "Hehe, not since I was a dumb kid. I used to think camping out in a tent in my backpack was serious adventuring. Those were… the days," and her voice faded into drowsy mumbles.

"Touko…" N began, eyes fixed upward.

"Nnyeah?" she murmured.

"…I feel… really happy. I can't remember… the last time I've felt this way. That goes to say… I may not have even experienced this type of feeling before…" He looked down at her and she was smiling.

"Yeah. I feel the exact same way." And they drifted to sleep under the stars.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>:

Reiteration of the last Author's Note: Please enjoy 'these two chapters specifically' while they last. It's not often I completely grind the plot to a hold to focus on... _character building_.

And, whoa! Ghetsis in this chapter! Let's not forget he's part of the story as well, but I can't give him as much screen time as I like, sometimes. Maybe he and N should switch places...

Anyway, story will be going on Hiatus for a while. Can't say when we'll be back, but if there's not another update this year, than expect one in January at the earliest. In the meanwhile, I gotta get this story back on the plot rail road. Until then, I hope you all have a fun time playing Pokemon X and Y! Until we meet again. 


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